Friends Who (Fake) Date
by chrono96
Summary: "Stiles and I..." Lydia turns to look at him with a smile, making his heartbeat pick up it's pace. He could feel Scott, Kira, and Liam's eyes on him, but he couldn't make himself look away from Lydia. "Are dating." (In which Lydia and Stiles are fake dating, but Stiles wishes it was real) Stiles/Lydia/Stydia
1. Movie Night

They were all meeting up at Scott's house to watch a movie. It was their typical Friday night routine; Stiles brought pizza, Kira brought sodas, and Liam and Lydia brought snacks. Stiles sometimes provided movies, too, ignoring everyone's protests.

"This is scary movie night, Stiles, not the Empire Strikes Back night." Scott tried to let him down easy, and Stiles just rolled his eyes and plopped down on the couch.

They were out of school today since Halloween was tomorrow, so they met up at 12:00 instead of their usual after-school time. Stiles got there way earlier, because he couldn't sleep, and he was ready to start movies. It was scary movies tonight, to go with the whole 'Halloween' theme.

"Okay, just because the Empire Strikes Back is the only Star Wars title you know, doesn't mean it's the only movie. It's actually Return of the Jedi." He sighed, but Scott wasn't listening anymore. Stiles sat there alone, staring blankly at the black-screened TV, while Scott and Kira whispered in each other's ears and laughed. "Not that it matters."

"When's Lydia and Liam going to get here?" Stiles groaned, and got up and walked to the kitchen. They didn't answer, of course, but his stomach started to rumble, as the smell of freshly-baked pizza wafted through the house.

He looked around to make sure Scott and Kira didn't see him, and he slowly opened the lid to the pizza box. As soon as he did, the front door busted open, and he heard Lydia laughing. He slapped the box back shut quickly, and Lydia stopped laughing, and stared at him suspiciously. He bit the inside of his cheek and tangled his hands together behind his back. She still had a slight smile on her face, and her eyebrow was raised as she looked him up and down. She had bags in her hands, and Liam halted in the doorway behind her when he saw her stop.

"What's going on?" He asks, looking between Stiles and Lydia. They didn't answer after a second, so he shrugged his shoulders, before pushing past them and setting his grocery bags on the kitchen counter.

"Looks like Stiles was about to eat the pizza without us," Lydia bites her lip, studying his face. He darted his eyes away from hers, and swallowed thickly.

"What? No way. I was just going to set some on plates for everyone! I'm not even...I'm not even that hungry," He scratched the back of his neck, and immediately regretted saying that. He was starving.

"Really? Then you wouldn't mind waiting a little while then, right?" She looked at him with pleading eyes, and he wanted to die. She knew he was lying, and she also knew that he was starving. She wanted to see how long he could hold out. "I really wanted us to maybe watch a movie first, because I ate not too long ago."

"I…" He breathed in, and looked over at the pizza box. "Yeah. That's fine with me."

She looked at him, and a grin formed on her face. "You are so passive! You have to get over that, Stiles." She finally breaks out of character, and opens the pizza box. He didn't hesitate, before he shoved two whole pieces in his mouth.

"Stiles!" Lydia laughs, watching him as she fixed her own plate. Liam was cheering him on, as he poured the sodas.

"Dude!" Scott laughs, patting him on the back as he walks in the kitchen. "Whoa."

"God, that was so good," Stiles finally finishes them, and immediately grabs for another. He sits down at the table next to Lydia, and she's grinning at him.

"You're like a human vacuum," She laughs, taking a bite of hers.

"I haven't eaten all day," He laughs too, and rubs his stomach.

"Here," She smiles, and wipes some sauce from the corner of his mouth. She licked it off of her finger, and turned to laugh at something Scott had said.

They had gotten really, really close the past few months. In a friendship way, of course, but he wasn't even nervous around her anymore. Well he was, but not in the way he used to be. If Lydia had wiped his lips with her finger and licked it off two years ago, he would for sure be passed out on the floor right now.

After they finished eating, they all made their way into the living room.

"Hey, who wants popcorn?" Stiles asked, as they all debated on which scary movie to watch first.

"We just ate five minutes ago," Kira laughed, snuggling into Scott's side.

"Yeah, but I'm still hungry." Stiles whined, watching Lydia sort through their horror movies. "So no one then?"

Not even one of them was paying attention to anything he was saying, except maybe Kira, so he got up to make popcorn. When he came back, bowl in hand, Lydia was laying across his side of the couch. They had all been waiting for him to get back so they could start the movie. They had put in Friday the 13th.

"Move! That's my spot." He laughs, standing above her.

"No, I'm comfy." She smiles, and closes her eyes as she snuggles against the big blanket. She looked adorable.

"Lyd," He whines, faking to be annoyed. She peeks one eye open and smiles, and he shakes his head.

"Can you guys get a room please so we can start this movie?" Liam asks, looking over at them, and pointing the remote at the TV, waiting for them to be quiet. Stiles shot him a look, and Lydia laughed as she sat up, and made room for him.

"Fine. But that means you're my pillow." She laughed, and spread the blanket over both of their bodies. The blanket was all the way up to their necks since it was so chilly outside, and she cuddled her body against his. They had their feet pulled up on the couch, her head was on his shoulder, and his arm was around her side. When a scary part came on, she squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back.

"That's not even very scary; just gory." Liam stated as the credits rolled up. Scott and Kira were silent the whole time, except for the occasional giggle. Stiles and Lydia were quiet for the most part, too, but they had to make funny commentary the whole time into each other's ears. They were both big scaredy cats when it came to horror movies, so that was their way of coping. He had come to learn that he and Lydia, surprisingly, had a similar sense of humor.

"Yeah. Just...gross." Kira shivered, and Lydia kept poking Stiles in the side with her index finger. He ignored it.

"What's next?" He asked, stretching his legs out. Lydia kept poking him in the side, until he couldn't take it anymore.

"I don't know, I was thinking-" Scott started to say, but Stiles interrupted him by turning to Lydia, and tickling her sides. She started laughing uncontrollably, and kicking out in all different directions.

"Stop!" She pleaded, her stomach hurting from laughter. "Stiles, stop!"

"See how it feels now?" He smiled as he watched her laugh. It was the most beautiful thing on the planet. She rolled her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder, still smiling.

Stiles looked up from her, and his smile immediately dissipated as he looked at Liam's face. He knew without even looking, that Scott and Kira were staring at him too. Liam pushed his lips together trying not to laugh, as Stiles narrowed his eyes at him, annoyed.

He knew what they all thought about him and Lydia. They all, of course, wanted them to date. Stiles wanted him and Lydia to date too, but he knew she didn't feel that way for him. He didn't think she even knew that he still liked her.

"You two are so cute," Kira smiled, almost too excited for her own good. Stiles was humiliated.

"Aren't we?" Lydia looked up at him, batting her eyelashes. She laughed it off, but he just sat there, swallowing thickly. Lydia obviously thought they were joking. Liam could barely contain himself.

"How about...Nightmare on Elm Street next?" Lydia asks, looking around the room. She had obviously not picked up on the awkwardness Stiles felt, or the giddiness that the others felt.

"That's fine with me. Johnny Depp is so cute in this." Kira smiles, as Lydia sits up from the couch, stretching. Stiles immediately felt cold and lonely when she got up.

"Right?! He was so sexy back then." Lydia sighed, sorting through the movies.

"He still is." Kira replies, making dreamy eyes.

"What about me?" Scott whines, sticking his bottom lip out.

"You're so much sexier," She replies, and Stiles doesn't have to look over at them to know that Scott has that signature 'Scott grin' on his face. They were lovey dovey, and Stiles wanted to be grossed out by it, but all he could think about was how much he wanted him and Lydia to be like that.

"Ahh, I love this movie," Lydia bites her lip, as she crawls back under the blanket next to Stiles excitedly.

They're both snuggled up to each other, and, like the other movie, they have their own commentary. One time they cut up so loud, that Liam had to pause the movie and wait until he could hear again.

"God, I'm like a third wheel. Well, a fifth wheel, more like. Whatever." He rolls his eyes, and waits for Stiles and Lydia's laughing to die down. Stiles hoped Lydia hadn't heard what Liam said.

"What's so funny?" Kira asks, smiling slightly at how loud they were laughing.

"Just...I can't really explain." Lydia wipes tears from her eyes, and gives out another small laugh. Stiles clutched at his stomach, and finally sat back on the couch, still smiling.

"Hey, are you guys dating?" Liam asks, narrowing his eyes. "Is there something I missed?"

Stiles' face burned, and Lydia just laughed, like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"We're just friends, Liam," She laughed it off, and knocked her shoulder against Stiles', and looked up at him. They looked at each other for a second, before he quickly stood up. He hadn't felt his heart pound this fast in a long time.

"Since we're taking a break, who wants some hot cocoa?" Stiles asks, playing it off as if he wasn't completely freaking out. They all did, so he nodded. "Hey Liam, want to come help me?" Stiles asked, with a slight edge to his voice.

Liam instantly looked over at Scott for help, but Scott just shrugged and smiled.

"Sure," Liam agreed, and slowly got up and walked behind Stiles to the kitchen. This should be fun.


	2. Anyone in a ten-mile radius could see it

"What the hell was that?!" Stiles throws his hands in the air, whispering loudly. He put his hand to his forehead, and shut his eyes.

"I know what it seems like, but I was genuinely asking you guys. I really thought you two were dating! You look like a couple; anyone in a ten-mile radius could see it." Liam admits, looking confused.

"Well we aren't. It just makes things awkward when anyone asks that stuff." Stiles sighed, and put his hand on the counter.

"What's the big deal? If you like her, which you obviously do, then why don't you just ask her out?" Liam asks, completely confused. "I don't get the big deal, I guess."

Stiles had forgotten that normal people really did that. They liked someone, so they asked them out. Simple as that.

"It's not...It's not like that, okay? I don't know, we've been friends for so long, and I've liked her even longer. It's just all so…" He shakes his head, and looks up at the ceiling. "This is stupid. It'll never happen, so I just don't get the point of even trying."

"So you're just going to live miserably on the off chance that she might not like you back?" Liam replies, annoyed. Stiles thought about that for a second.

"There's so much more to lose than that, Liam," Stiles answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just can't, okay? Besides, if she liked me, she would ask me out. That's how I know she doesn't."

"Well I'm betting on you guys." Liam told him, and Stiles nodded.

"Thanks, man," Stiles sighed, and ruffled his hair. "Now let's get this hot cocoa started. I can't believe you made me take this long."

They walked back into the living room, carrying five hot mugs that were filled to the brim with mini marshmallows.

"Oooh," Lydia rubs her hands together, before slowly taking a mug from Stiles' long fingers. He settled in on the couch next to her, and she laid her head on his shoulder, as they both took small sips from their cups.

"I love this time of year," She whispered to Stiles, right as Freddy Krueger ripped into Nancy's mom with his razor-claws. It seemed like an odd time to say it, but he doubted she had been paying much attention to it anyway.

"Me too," He replied, looking over at her. There was a thin white strip on her top lip. He laughed, and she furrowed her eyebrows. "You have marshmallow on your lip." He smiled, and swiped his thumb across it.

"Liam's watching," Lydia grinned mischievously, and looked up at Stiles beneath her lashes. "Lick it off."

"What? No," He laughed, swallowing thickly.

"God, fine," She rolled her eyes, grabbed his hand, and slipped his thumb in her mouth. His breath caught, as she swirled her tongue around it, and then sucked on it, before pulling it out of her mouth.

Stiles saw Liam turn away quickly, feeling like he invaded their privacy. Lydia laughed quietly, and raised her hand to give Stiles a high-five. He forced a laugh, and slapped his hand against hers. He was glad that Lydia was a Banshee and not a wolf right now, so she couldn't hear the loud thuds from his heartbeat. He knew Scott and Liam could hear it, but he tried ignoring that embarrassing fact.

She went back to sipping her hot cocoa, as if nothing had happened.

When the movie ended, they all took a break so they could use the bathroom, stretch, and get the snacks they all wanted before they started the next movie.

"Come here, Stiles," Lydia whines, looking through all of the snacks on the table.

"What's up?" He asks, setting the glasses of soda he poured for them down on the table next to the snacks.

"I can't decide on what snacks to get," She sighs, pulls his arms around her, and links their fingers together. He propped his chin on top of her head, and they both stared at the mound of candy and snacks. "I thought that since we sit together, maybe you could help me decide on something so we could share."

"Hmm," He scans the pile, and unlinks their fingers long enough to pluck a Three Musketeer bar, Kit Kat bar, and a bag of Cheetos. "These."

"Good choice," She approves, and gathers them in her hands. Stiles spotted Liam on a counter chewing on a piece of pizza from earlier, watching them carefully. When he noticed Stiles looking at him, he quickly turned away, trying to hide a smile. Stiles rolled his eyes, and followed behind Lydia into the living room with the cups in his hands. She propped her legs on his, and they talked and shared snacks while they waited for Scott, Kira, and Liam to get in there.

It was so nice seeing Lydia like this. Her hair was messy, she was wearing sweatpants, and she didn't care about anything right now; she was just having fun. It took her a while to get to this point, but after a while, she realized that they didn't love her for her style, or how she dressed up every day; they loved her for her. After she loosened up a little, they started having the best time on Friday's with each other. They all let loose, and forgot about all of the horrible things in the past, or what could happen in the future, and they just had fun. They had all grown pretty close, and Stiles was glad to have that back again.

"Want a piece?" Lydia breaks off a bar from the Kit Kat.

"Yeah. God, I love these things," He admits, reaching for it. Right as he's about to grab it, she holds it behind her, and smirks.

"Not so fast," She holds it, and he licks his lips.

"What? I'm hungry." He whines, quickly reaching for it, and trying to throw her off guard. It didn't work, of course, but it made her laugh.

"Come get it," She shrugs her shoulders, making it sound easy. He reached for it desperately; even falling on top of her during an attempt. She laughed as he squirmed, trying to reach it.

"Ha!" He finally grabs it, and he hears Scott clear his throat behind them.

"Did we...interrupt something?" Stiles turns to look at him, and Scott's smiling, along with Kira and Liam.

"No. Shut up," Stiles huffs, and sits back down regularly. Lydia laughs, as she sits up too.

"Come on, they're just joking, Stiles." She whispered and knocked her arm against his, as the other three dug through the movies.

"I really don't think they are," He turned to look at her, and she bit her lip. He swallowed thickly, and then he almost had a heart attack.

"Oculus! We're watching Oculus," Scott announced loudly, and proudly. They all agreed to it, and Lydia reached up, and tangled her fingers with Stiles'. It was normal; they did this all the time, but right now it felt different. He squeezed her hand gently, and she squeezed back.


	3. Midnight Walk

**I'm planning on this being a pretty long story - maybe my longest yet! I'll probably be updating 2-3 times a week, on Mondays/Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so check back those days :)**

* * *

They watched about three more horror movies. The later it got, the scarier it got. It was cold now, too, and Liam got so scared, that he squeezed in between Stiles and Kira. They all shared a huge blanket, and Stiles and Lydia held hands under it.

"God, can we just turn it off now?" Liam gulped, trying not to act afraid. They all knew he was, though, and so were they. "This is lame."

"Yeah, so lame that you practically pissed your pants," Stiles laughed, but he was scared out of his wits too. It was the movie 'Halloween', and it was only a little over halfway through.

"Shut up," Lydia knocked her shoulder against his, getting on to him for being mean to Liam.

"Come on, he needs someone in his life that knocks him around a little." Stiles turned to her and laughed, and she rolled her eyes playfully.

"Yes, Stiles. You're his angel in disguise." She shakes her head, and turns back to the tv, still smiling. He laid his head on her shoulder, and sighed contently.

"Hey, guys," Kira stands up, pauses the movie, and flips the light on. They all groan and cover their eyes at the sudden bright light, but she's just grinning. "It's Halloween!"

"Yeah we know, we've been watching the movie, Kira," Stiles laughs, and Kira rolls her eyes.

"No, Stiles, it's Halloween right now. It's 12:06." She smiled, and held her phone up.

"Oh, I forgot!" Lydia laughed, and her face lit up with excitement. He smiled as he watched her. "We should go walk down the road and look at decorations."

"Yes! Let's go!" Kira replies excitedly, pulling Scott up from the couch.

"Wait," Liam stands up, and everyone looks over at him. "After watching all of those scary movies? You want to go outside on Halloween, in the pitch-black dark?" He gulps, and says exactly what Stiles had been thinking.

"Yeah, we're practically sending invitations out for a murderer to come kill us," He stands up, and shoves his hands in his pockets. "With little red bows on the front and everything."

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Lydia clasps her fingers together, and puts it to her chin as she begs. "Please, Stiles? Just for a minute."

"This is exactly how the beginning of a horror movies goes! There's always one or two skeptics, but they finally agree to go into the haunted house because of peer pressure. Or the dark street, in this case."

"Not everything is a movie, Stiles. Let's go!" Scott grabs his and Liam's arms, and pulled them to the door.

"Here, you can hold my hand, you big baby." Lydia smiles, and reaches her hand out to him.

"Peer pressure at it's worst," He laughs, and takes her hand. Liam held onto the back of Scott's shirt like a toddler, as they opened the front door, and walked outside.

"See? It isn't so bad." Lydia tells him quietly, as the two of them walk behind Scott, Kira, and Liam. Most of the people up and down the streets still had their lights on, and some were even having Halloween parties. The street lights were on and bright in most places, which was a relief.

"Yeah, I guess." He admitted, but he could feel his hands sweating profusely. They walked down Scott's driveway, and down the sidewalk. There were spooky decorations all over people's yards; spiderwebs, fake coffins, Jack-O-Lanterns, and everything else you could imagine.

The wind was blowing, and Lydia huddled against Stiles for warmth. He loved when it was cold for this very reason.

"Oh, do you hear that music?" Lydia suddenly stops, and Scott sees, but he winks at Stiles and keeps walking.

"Lyd, come on, we need to catch up with them," He pulls her hand, but she doesn't budge.

"I think it's coming from over there." She bites her lip, and they cross the road to the opposite sidewalk. By now the music was audible from the house, but it was slow. He recognized it as 'The Way You Look Tonight' by Frank Sinatra. "Oh, I love Halloween parties. Weird choice in music for a party, though."

"This isn't a party, Lyd. This is Scott's neighbors, the Watsons. They're like ninety." He laughs, breathing the cold air in.

"Really? Why are they up so late on Halloween?" She questions, looking up at him.

"Anniversary maybe? They're really cool, though. They would let me and Scott come inside and watch TV when Melissa made us work outside." He laughed, remembering those times.

"Dance with me," She smiled, pulling away to look at him. The moonlight was shining on her face, and she looked beautiful.

"I can't dance," He smiles, and shakes his head.

"Come on, Stiles. You just have to sway; it's not like you have to go to classes to know how to do that." She pleads, and bites her lip. "I haven't danced in such a long time."

"Okay. Yeah, okay, let's do it." He nods nervously, and a grin forms on her face.

"Thanks." She replies, and wraps her arms around his neck. He put his around her waist, and she leaned her head on his chest. They closed their eyes, and swayed back and forth slowly. It was so romantic, and for the moment, he could keep his eyes closed and imagine that they were in love.

Lydia pulled his head down, and laughed quietly as their foreheads and noses pressed together. He could feel her breath against him, and he swallowed thickly. She closed her eyes and hummed the song, as her fingers ran through the thick hair on the back of his neck absentmindedly. He kept his eyes open, and looked at her. Her long, beautiful eyelashes, and her freckles that you could only see if you were this close to her, because she covered them with makeup. His heart ached with love for her.

She opened her eyes and smiled, and kept humming the song. They moved back and forth, and their bodies were pressed together, and it was amazing. She looked into his eyes that were only inches away from his, and sighed.

"You're so tiny, Lyd." He whispered, smiling.

"Maybe you're just excessively tall," She whispered back with a smile, and closed her eyes again. Her lips were so close to his, that all he had to do was lean down a few inches, and they would be kissing.

"Both could be equally accurate," He laughs quietly, and tries to give a discreet gulp.

"Hey, Stiles," She says, pulling away so she could look at him. Her nose was red from the cold, and he could see chill bumps on her skin.

"Yeah?" He asks, darting his eyes between hers.

"I'm glad we're close now, you know?" She smiles weakly, and stops moving. "I'm glad I have someone...someone who understands what I've been through. I was lost for a really long time, but I feel normal again when I spend time with you - all of you."

He didn't know what to say, so he just pulled her to him, and held her tighter. She wrapped her arms around him again, and sighed as they started swaying back and forth again. The song changed to 'Vienna' by Billy Joel.

"Oh, I love this song too," Lydia says quietly, and he smiles.

"Me too," He closed his eyes, and enjoyed the moment.

That's all it was, too - a moment, because not only did he hear footsteps running towards them, but as soon as he opened his eyes, Liam ran into him, knocking him off balance.

"Whoa, what's up?" Stiles asked with alertness, as Scott and Kira ran under the streetlight too. Stiles was at least relieved that he could see them now. Scott had a grin on his face, so Stiles knew it must not have been something too bad.

"Neighbors - doorbell - I just -" Liam tried to say, but he was completely out of breath.

"Can someone tell us what's going on?" Lydia asked, immediately clasping her fingers between Stiles'.

"I suggest we run," Kira replied, and without question, they all took off down the street.


	4. Agreement

"Now can you tell us what the _hell_ is going on here?" Lydia turns to Scott, as they finally halt when they reach his backyard.

"Well," He sighs, and runs his hand through his hair. Stiles waited anxiously by Lydia's side for an explanation. "We went over to Mr. Burch's house, and I was telling Kira and Liam about how mean he used to be. Anyway, I convinced them to doorbell ditch him with me."

"Oh my God," Stiles groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That guy's so crazy, Scott."

"Yeah, we figured that out quickly when we heard him loading his shotgun." Liam replied, obviously still terrified.

"I just wanted to be a normal teenager for a night! It's been so long since I've done something like that. It felt good." Scott smiles, aimlessly kicking around the grass.

"It was pretty fun…" Kira admitted, a smile forming on her face too as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Man, I wish I could have seen it. He really was a jerk." Stiles started to laugh, and so did Lydia. Liam was the last one, but he started up soon after.

"Come on, let's go back inside." Kira suggests a few minutes later, after the laughter had eventually died down. Lydia never let go of Stiles' hand.

"I'm getting pretty tired. It's past one now," Scott yawned, and then Liam did.

"I'm ready for bed," Kira admitted, wiping her eyes tiredly.

"Me too," They all agreed, and sluggishly piled blankets and pillows all over the floor. After a few minutes, they laid down, and turned the light out.

Stiles was on the far left, then Lydia, Liam, Kira, and Scott at the end. It didn't take long before Scott was snoring obnoxiously.

Stiles stared up at the ceiling, thinking about what Liam said earlier. Should he ask her out? If she said no, it could ruin their friendship. But what if she said yes? Was it really worth the risk? He really would rather just be friends, than tell her how he feels, and lose her altogether. That scared him more than anything.

He tossed and turned for thirty minutes, not being able to fall asleep. The longer he kept his eyes open, the more adjusted his sight got to the darkness. He could see everything in the room now, which made it even harder to fall asleep. There was even light from a street lamp pouring through the window, and he could hear music from a party booming down the street.

"You can't sleep either?" Lydia whispered, inching closer to him. He turned his body so he was facing her.

"No." He whispered back, laughing quietly. "I was tired until I laid down. Now I can't even _think_ about falling asleep."

"Especially because of that light," She whined, putting a pillow over her face. He laughed. And laughed, and laughed. She started laughing along with him, and it started getting loud. They tried to keep quiet, but it made it worse. Liam groaned sleepily, and shifted his body. That made them laugh even harder.

"Why are we laughing?" She asked between breaths, her smile bright across her face.

"Probably sleep deprivation," He replied, his stomach hurting from laughter. She laughed even harder at that, and he covered her mouth with his hand, smiling.

"Shhhhh!" He laughs, glancing up to see if Liam or Kira or Scott had woken from their loudness.

"I'm trying," Her voice was muffled, so he took his hand off her mouth, and set it on her cheek.

"What?" He laughs again, quieter now though.

"I'm trying to be quiet." She smiles, trying to catch her breath from the laughter. His finger gently rubbed across her cheek. He hadn't even realized he had been doing it, but when he did, he quickly stopped, and pulled his hand away.

"I miss laughing like that. It seems like it's been forever." He gives a weak smile, and she returns it.

"Me too. Even before all of this happened - I was never really happy." She tries to shrug it off like it was nothing, but his heart breaks at that. He waited for a second, trying to think of something to say.

"You know, I read once that really, really smart people have trouble being happy sometimes. That might play a big part. But that doesn't mean you won't ever be happy." He stutters slightly, finding it hard to think of the right words.

"I'm happy right now," She replies, laying her head on her hands, and looking up at him seriously.

"Yeah?" He asks, looking in her eyes as his heartbeat sped up.

"Yeah." She laughed and ruffled his hair, lightening the mood. It was mostly easy with them, but lately there's been so much tension, that you could cut it with a knife. It was all from his side of course, but it was still there, painfully obvious.

"Good." He replied with a smile, swallowing thickly as he looked at her.

"Do you want to go upstairs maybe? I can't sleep down here." She asks, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can go to Scott's room if you want." He answers, feeling his palms starting to sweat.

"Okay. Let's go." She whispers, grinning. They both sit up, grab their pillows, and tip-toe as best as they can past Liam, Kira, and Scott. Finally they reached the stairs; grinning and laughing uncontrollably.

"God, it has to be almost two by now," Lydia sighs, and climbs into Scott's bed. She pulls the blanket over her, getting cozy. He wasn't really sure what to do, so he just climbed into bed next to her.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry. Oh my God. I was debating, but I didn't really think it was a big deal, I'm so sorry-" He freaks out, running his fingers through his hair.

"Wait a second." She sits up, and narrows her eyes. "What are you talking about?" She asks, smiling slightly at his dramatic reaction.

"Um...sleeping in the same bed? As you?" He replies, red forming in his cheeks to show his embarrassment. "What were _you_ talking about?"

"I was talking about you being as far away from me as possible," She laughs, shaking her head. "Get over here. It's freezing, and I need your body heat."

"Oh," He laughs, shaking his head. "That's kind of humiliating."

"No, it's okay. Besides, no boy has ever really asked for permission before, so thanks," She laughs, pulling back the blanket, and patting the bed next to her. He laughed and scratched his neck, and climbed in next to her. He heard her teeth chattering, as she laid her head on his chest.

"You don't have to be so stiff, Stiles, it's just me." She laughs, looking up at him. She didn't understand that he was stiff for exactly that reason; because it was her. Smart, funny, beautiful, Lydia. It didn't matter how much time he spent with her, his heart always practically pounded out of his chest every time he saw her.

"I know," He replies, and puts his arm around her side. A few minutes went by, and they just sat there in silence, enjoying each others company. Sometimes when you're friends with someone, you always have to be doing something to have fun, but friendships like these were what he loved most. Where they could sit in silence and it wasn't weird or uncomfortable, and they could just sit and watch movies all day instead of having to go out.

He made up his mind. He had to tell her how he felt. He didn't want to live his life in constant torment when, eventually, she would get a boyfriend or get married, and he was alone, because he could never love someone as much as her. He had to do it, and now was the perfect time.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she talked first.

"You don't really think they're serious though, right? The pack, I mean, about us dating?" She laughs, and looks up at him. He didn't know what to say. He was internally panicking.

"I'm not sure. They just know we're really close, so they like to mess with us I think." He forces out a laugh.

"Mmm." She nods with understanding. She hesitates for a second, but then she looked up at him. It was like in those cartoons when a character would spring up, and have a light bulb above their head when they had an idea. "I know a way we can get back at them. For being such jerks all the time and everything."

"How?" He laughs as she sits up, crosses her legs, and looks at him with excitement.

"Us dating," She grins and bites her lip, looking up at the ceiling like she had just figured out a master plan. His heart almost stopped. "I mean, really. If we faked to date each other - for what, a week? - we could play them so good. We would look so in love, and then break it off, and finally reveal to them that it was fake, and that's what they get for messing with us. They'll see that we don't really feel that way for each other, and they'll leave us alone."

He was speechless. Here he was, about to tell her that he's in love with her, and now, just two minutes later, he's getting a horrible, unwanted wake-up call. He didn't understand how someone as genius as Lydia could be so clueless to how he feels about her. Now he could never tell her in a million years.

"What?" He asks quietly, trying to keep his voice even.

"Come on, it would be so fun! We would just do what we normally do, but be more...couple-y about it." She smiles, waiting for an answer. He felt sick to his stomach, like he could puke any second.

"I don't think so, Lyd. I hate lying to Scott," He replied, shaking his head. He was being honest; he really did hate lying to Scott, but that excuse was mostly just a cover up for himself. This is the worst thing ever, because if they did fake to date, it would seem too real. As if he wasn't miserable enough being around her, but they would have to whisper to each other and laugh and smile, hug each other, and….kiss each other? Did she even think about that? He knew that wasn't near as big of a deal to her, but that's because she wasn't in love with him. He couldn't do this.

"I know you do, Stiles, but seriously. They're messing with us constantly, and we deserve a little payback for it." She smiles, and puts her hand on his. "We can even dress up tomorrow in a couples costume for Halloween!"

He was completely panicking. Not only would he have to fake date her if he said yes, but that also meant he wouldn't be able to talk to Scott about it, because he would think they were really dating. That means that whenever he hugged her and kissed her and was in pain because it wasn't real, he would have no one to talk to. He would be all alone in this.

"Fine," He agreed, but was instantly shocked with himself. He had meant to say 'no, I don't want to', but those weren't the words that came out of his mouth.

"Yay!" She replied, throwing her arms around him with excitement. "Starting tomorrow, we're dating."

He opened his mouth to object, but nothing came out. He couldn't back out now, and he was nervous and excited and sick at the same time. He was completely stuck.


	5. For Practice

"Good morning," Stiles yawned, as he woke up and saw Lydia scrolling through her phone. He loved waking up beside her. She turned to look at him and smiled, and shifted her body towards him.

"Good morning, boyfriend," She bites her lip and grins, pushing hair out of her face. He froze for a second. He had forgotten all about that.

"Oh yeah," He gulped, and sat up. "I'm not sure about this, Lyd. I've never even dated anyone before - I wouldn't know what to do."

"Stop being a baby! Just do all of that gross lovey-dovey stuff that you see in movies. Whispering cheesy things to each other, smiling all the time, picking each other up for school. It won't be hard." She explains, biting her lip.

"Fine." He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face, as hard as he tried.

"Good." She grinned, rubbing her hands together. "Now kiss me."

"What? What do you mean?" He asks, his heart racing.

"For practice! We have to make it seem real." She replied, laughing. "We have to convince them that we're completely in love."

 _That won't be hard for me_ , he thought. He hadn't kissed her, or anyone else for that matter, since his panic attack in the locker room months ago.

"Lydia, are you sure-" He starts to say, but he gets cut off when she grabs his shirt in her fists, and kisses him. His breathing stops and his eyes widen, as her hands reach up, and slide across his neck, until they're cupping his cheeks. Her lips were soft and sweet, and his whole world was collapsing around him.

"Hmm," She pulled away, licking her lips. "That was cute, but that was puppy-love, not deep, passionate love. Let's try again."

He sat there, still breathless, and frozen in place. He felt like he was in shock.

"Fine, I'll do it." She laughs, and kisses him again. He didn't even have time to compose himself, before her lips were melting against his again. Something stirred deep in his stomach, as she grazed her lips across his gently. How could she not feel what he was feeling? She could just

"No," She pulled away abruptly, and shook her head. "Come on, Stiles, you have to get into it! Kiss me like you mean it. You're just sitting there, not moving."

"Okay." He gulped, and stared at her lips. He looked up in her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Here I go."

"Go ahead," She smiles, and waits for him to make his move.

This is what he had been waiting almost his entire life for. Not in these circumstances exactly, but he wanted to be able to kiss her, and show her how much he loved her. He would put everything he had into this.

He set one of his hands on her cheek, and the other slid behind the back of her neck. His thumb stroked against her jawline, and he leaned in and parted his lips, before he pressed them against hers. It was soft and slow at first, but then he started moving his lips, and getting into it. His eyes closed, and his hand moved down to the small of her back, pulling her towards him desperately. He was completely engulfed in her taste and smell and touch, and he knew that this was what she wanted from him to make it seem real. She didn't realize that it already was for him.

Her hands ran through his hair, and gently scratched at the back of his neck. He furrowed his eyebrows as he kissed her deeply and feverishly. Both of their breaths were heavy, colliding with each others every time they briefly pulled apart between kisses. He had forgotten all about why they started kissing, or how long they had been, because he was entirely focused on her, and the fact they were kissing at all.

What eventually interrupted them, was the loud noises coming from downstairs. It snapped them back to reality immediately, and they pulled apart. He finally opened his eyes, and saw her swallowing thickly with her eyes still shut. She slowly blinked them open soon after, and looked in his. They were both completely out of breath, with the worst tension in the world between them. It was almost unbearable.

"Wow," She laughed, swallowing again and shaking her head. "Now that's what I'm talking about. I didn't know you had it in you, Stiles."

"Thanks? I guess?" He clears his throat because his voice is hoarse, and scratches his neck, trying to act like the best thing to ever happen to him didn't just occur.

"Just...wow," She smiled, and licked her lips. "It was great. That was perfect. Now we need to come up with the story. I hear them down there making breakfast, so we should hurry."

"I have no idea. You come up with something." He smiles, and watches her face as she concentrates. Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes narrowed, and she bit her lip. He was mesmerized by everything she did.

He couldn't believe he had actually just made out with her. He knew that every time that happened, he was going to get more and more heart broken, because she didn't feel the same. He also knew that if she realized how he felt about her, she would never in a million years hurt him like this, but she didn't know, and it was killing him.

"Okay, here's the story," She finally said a minute later, turning to look at him. "You had a big crush on me for a long time, and when we came up here all alone, having to cuddle for warmth, you finally told me. Ended up I felt the same, and we live happily ever after. Until next week."

He almost passed out. That was exactly what happened. Minus her feeling the same way part, but still. He couldn't believe it. It was like she had read his mind.

"Sounds great!" He replies, nodding his head. He wanted to scream.

"Awesome. Let's go." She grins, and pulls him to the door. She grabs his hand, smiles cheesily as she breathes in deeply, and they step out, and walk downstairs. They step into the doorway of the kitchen, and see Kira with her head on Scott's shoulder, and Liam shoving food into his mouth.

"There you are! We wondered where you two might have snuck off to last night," Kira grinned, and stared at them happily. She didn't actually think anything was going on; she was just messing with them like she normally does. She was about to be very surprised.

"Kira, Scott, Liam," Lydia sighed, squeezing Stiles' hand as they walked into the kitchen together. They had all been around the table, talking and eating breakfast, but when Lydia spoke, their full attention was on her. They could tell it was serious. "We have something to tell you."

"What's that?" Scott asks, temporarily pausing his chewing. Food actually fell out of Liam's mouth when he saw them together.

"Stiles and I are..." She smiled, as she looked up at him with loving eyes. "Dating."


	6. Kind of Embarrassing

"Whoa…" Scott furrows his eyebrows, and looks directly at Stiles. Stiles immediately turned away from his glare. "What do you mean?"

"We're dating," She replied, smiling up at Stiles. He looked down at her, and smiled weakly in return. "We went up to your room last night because it was cold and we couldn't sleep, and he told me that he liked me. I liked him too, so we decided we would see where this went."

"Oh my God!" Liam stands up and grins, and Stiles just about panics. "I just told you yesterd-" He starts to say, but Stiles quickly covers his hand over Liam's mouth, and laughs nervously.

"Going on about random stuff again? Typical Liam, am I right guys?" Stiles laughs, looking around at all of them nervously. They all thought he was just being normal, weird Stiles, so they ignored it.

"Dude what the hell?" Liam asks as Stiles removes his hand, confused.

"I'm sorry, just...don't say anything else okay? Not right now." Stiles answered quietly, silently pleading. Liam was still confused, but he could see the seriousness in Stiles' eyes, so he complied.

"I can't believe this! Oh my God!" Kira squealed with excitement, and hugged them both. Stiles was pretty sure he saw tears in her eyes. "I'm so, so happy for you two. We've been waiting so long for this to happen."

"We really have! So long that it doesn't even seem real right now." Scott grins, and pats them on the back. Stiles was absolutely terrified that they would say something like 'we've been waiting for Stiles to tell you about how he felt forever!' or 'thank god! Stiles never shut up about how much he loved you!'. That would ruin everything, including his entire life. He couldn't let that happen.

"Hey, Lyd. We should probably go fix his bed y'know? It was a mess." He looks at her to let her know that he wanted to talk, and she nodded.

"Maybe you should just...change the sheets entirely." Scott laughed, and scratched his neck.

"Oh no! No," Stiles blushed, and shook his head. " _Not_ like that."

"Sure," Liam laughs, winking at Stiles. Lydia laughs along with them, and intertwines her fingers with Stiles'.

"Shut up, Liam, like you even know what that means. You're like ten." Stiles shakes his head, and rolls his eyes.

"Hey," Lydia put her hand on his arm, and gave him a soft but stern look. He melted like butter when she looked at him like that.

"Fine, I'm sorry." Stiles sighs, and looks at Liam.

"Wow, I like you guys together more than I thought I would." Liam smiles, and crosses his arms. Lydia laughed and ruffled his hair, and then held Stiles' hand again. Kira had her head on Scott's shoulder, smiling and sighing contently. Stiles felt horrible lying to them, but he knew he couldn't tell them the truth. It was too early, and they were all too happy. He would wait a week or so, when everyone was adjusted, and then he would break the news. It wouldn't be as bad by that point.

"Come on, babe," Lydia smiled, and pulled him towards the stairs. He felt like his legs were about to give out when she called him that.

"Wait a second," He replied, stopping her. She turned around, and looked at him.

"Yeah?" She asked, rubbing her thumb across the top of his hand. He had to catch his breath.

"You wanna go ahead and go up? I'll be up there in a sec, I just need to ask Scott a question." He admits, looking in her eyes.

"That's fine. I'll miss you." She smiles, with her dimples showing. God, he wished this was real.

"I'll miss you too," He grins stupidly, not being able to hide his nervousness when she acted this way with him. If it couldn't be real, he could at least pretend it was for a week. What could it hurt?

She pulled his face down to hers, and rubbed her nose across his gently, before pressing her lips against him. He fully embraced it this time, and wrapped his arms around the base of her back. He pulled her body against his, and she smiled against his lips. He smiled too, then, and ran his fingers slowly up her back.

"I want to be grossed out by this, but I'm just too happy." Scott laughed, and they went back to eating their food.

That's what finally broke them apart, because he didn't know about her, but he had forgotten that the three of them had even been standing there. He pulled away breathing heavily, and she smiled at him, and ran her thumb across his lips. She looked at him for a second like she was completely in love, before turning and walking upstairs. He waited until he couldn't see her, and then turned to the group. He sat down, and put his head on the table, smiling stupidly. As hard as he tried, he couldn't make it go away.

"Dude!" Scott pats his back, and he smiles even more. "I'm so proud of you for telling her how you felt. You're the best. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks," Stiles looked up, and felt that horrible feeling he got whenever he lied to Scott. He felt beyond guilty and sick to his stomach. Scott was proud of him, and even though this was a prank, he was still lying straight to his face. "That's what I wanted to talk to you all about actually."

"What do you mean?" Kira asks, her smile fading.

"I just...I just need you guys not to say anything about how much I used to like her or anything. Don't tell her how big of a crush I had on her, you know? It's kind of embarrassing, and I want to tell her when the time is right." He says softly, as he traces imaginary circles on the table. It was a really, really shitty lie, but he couldn't think about anything else on the spot, and he knew Scott would understand.

"Yeah! Whatever you're comfortable with! We won't say anything." Scott grins still, and stares at him like a proud parent that just watched his son invent a cure for cancer.

"That's really cool that you told her. You just seemed so terrified yesterday - I didn't think you would. I'm glad you did it, though. You guys are great together." Liam tells him, slowly nodding his head.

"Thanks...that means a lot, Liam. I'm really happy." Stiles gulps, and looks down at his hands. He couldn't believe he had let this go so far.

"It's about time that you both finally realized - it was tiring watching you acting like a couple but never doing anything about it." Scott laughed, and held Kira tighter. Stiles forced a laugh, and nodded.

"Yeah. I'm so glad I told her. I've never been this happy." He smiles, a real smile, briefly being able to imagine that he really had told her, and he really was breaking the news to three of his best friends. "Hey, I should probably go and help her. We'll be down in a second."

"Mhmm, sure you will," Scott laughs, and knocks his shoulder against his. Stiles rolled his eyes and smiled, as he sat up from his chair, and walked towards the stairs.

"Whatever Scott!" He laughs as he walks upstairs. His heart started racing at the thought of even seeing her again. As soon as he walked in, she shut the door, and hugged him.

"That was so great, Stiles. The way you kissed me, the way you looked at me - they were sold! God, that was amazing. _I_ even started believing it for a second. Wow, you should be an actor or something." She laughed against his neck, and pulled back to look at him. He forced a smile onto his face.

"You were great too, Lyd. We really have them convinced." He laughs, and looks down at her lips.

"God, and this is just the start, too. There's so much more we can do." She grins, and bites her lip with excitement. "I haven't had this much fun in so long. I feel so...normal."

"I know what you mean. We're finally teenagers doing teenager things - pranking our friends." Even though he's miserable, seeing her face light up when she was happy or excited always made him smile too. "Don't you think it's kind of cruel, though? I mean...they really want us to get together I think, and we're kind of lying to them."

"They'll think it's funny," She starts, and he realized that from her point of view, that might be true. But from his, when he knows that all of them know he loves her, it's a different story. She has no idea about that, so her logic makes perfect sense to her. Just friends pulling pranks on each other. God, he wished it were that simple. "It's not that big of a deal, anyway. They're being jerks."

He didn't know how to explain to her that it really, really was a big deal. He couldn't, really, without giving himself away. He just hoped that after they revealed their prank, he could talk to them privately, and maybe they wouldn't be mad if they knew how stuck he had been last night.

"Yeah, I guess they do," He nods, just going along with it for now.

"Great. This is going to be so fun." She smiles as she leans in, and kisses his cheek. He smiled dumbly in return as he shoved his hands in his pockets, because he knew that this, at least, was real.


	7. Last Muffin

"So just keep your arm around me, okay? Remember that we can't keep our hands off of each other." She puts the last pillow into place, and smirks up at him.

"Can't keep our hands off of each other. Right, got it." He laughs, and takes a deep breath.

"Hey, relax." She walks over to him, and puts her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

Not anymore, he wanted to say, as she ran her hand up his shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm fine, promise." He laughed, and she looked a little worried, but he must have been convincing enough for her to believe him.

"Okay." She looked up at him, and then grabbed his hand. "Let's go then, boyfriend."

"Let's go then, _girlfriend_." He laughed, and she looked at him happily. He could tell that she was glad he was back to normal. He put his arm around her, and she put her arm around him. They walked downstairs together, laughing and smiling at each other.

"Finally!" Liam laughed, and Kira pinched his side and gave him a look.

"We were making out in your bed. Sorry Scott." Lydia laughed, and Stiles' heart was about to beat out of his chest. He really, really wished that Scott and Liam couldn't hear his heartbeat sometimes. Right now was one of those times.

"Don't even apologize. I love this." Scott sighs, and looks at them. "But yeah, I'm definitely going to change those sheets later."

"Yeah, you probably should," Lydia laughs, and Liam puts his hands over his face and groans.

"Lyd," Stiles blushed, and look down at the floor, full of embarrassment.

"What? I'm just joking." She knocks her arm against his, and he laughs.

"Gross." Liam fakes to gag, and Stiles rolls his eyes.

"There goes Liam again, pretending like he understands what we mean," Stiles narrows his eyes at him.

"I do! She meant that you guys probably h-" He starts to say, but Kira stops him.

"Okay, we get it. We all understood what it meant." Kira sighed, glad that she caught him before he could finish the rest. Stiles was blushing again.

"You two need to stop your bickering," Lydia laughed, as she let go of Stiles hand, and grabbed a muffin. She sat down on the table, and brought her knees up to her chest. They had only been 'dating' for about an hour, and he already felt empty being away from her. Even if it was just a few feet.

He picks her up and sits down in her chair, and then sets her back down on his lap. She laughs, and lays her head against his chest.

"That was the last muffin," He whines, sticking his bottom lip out at her.

"I guess we'll just have to share then," She smiles and bites her lip. He wasn't sure what that meant exactly, and he was nervous to find out.

She held it up to his mouth so he could take a bite, and then she took a bite. Simple enough. But then she sat up, grabbed his face, and kissed him. Her tongue ran across his, swapping her muffin with the one in his mouth. He heard the other three groan in disgust, but Stiles and Lydia just smiled and pulled each other even closer.

"Okay, I really am too young for this one. Even if I was eighty I'd be too young," Liam complained, and put his head down on the table. Lydia laughed against Stiles' mouth as she pulled away, and wiped her thumb across his lips. He found himself, like always, trying to catch his breath.

"Sorry, Liam." Lydia laughs, and Stiles puts his arms tightly around her.

He didn't know when it exactly happened, but he had decided that he would go full out with this. He would pretend like this was all real, and not only would Lydia be ecstatic with his commitment to the 'act', but he could also have a full week of practically dating Lydia, which was a once in a lifetime opportunity that he couldn't let himself pass up.

"That was pretty gross - even for me," Scott laughed, and shook his head.

"I think it's cute that they're so close. Some couples are together for years and they still wouldn't do that," Kira smiled, and watched them. Stiles was kind of embarrassed at that, since they weren't really a couple, but he could tell that Lydia loved it.

Lydia grabs Stiles' hand, and traces the veins that trail up his arm. Stiles watched her face, as she was concentrating intently on it. When she traced her finger up above his sleeve and couldn't see it anymore, she would go back to his wrist, and start again. She looked up at him and smiled when she noticed him staring.

"Hi," She said to him, showing her dimples.

"Hi," He replied, running his thumb across her cheek. He hoped that she didn't notice him swallowing thickly. The things like holding her hand, gazing stupidly in her eyes like he was completely in love (he really was), and kissing her were okay; that was part of the plan. The problem would be if she found out about how his heart rate quadrupled its speed when he looked at her, or how his palms started sweating every time they touched, and even how he couldn't breathe at all just thinking about her. Those weren't okay, because they were involuntary. This was all fake, so he can never, ever let her see the real.

He stared down at her lips. He could do that now too - it went right along with their 'fake dating' story. In her eyes, he was just really dedicated to the task. In some ways, this was perfect for him.

They leaned in closer, and Lydia's eyes flickered shut. Right as their top lips touched, Scott interrupted.

"What are we doing tonight?" He asks, looking around at all of them. Stiles and Lydia quickly pulled apart.

"We should go do something." Kira bites her lip, and Lydia shifts her body so she can look at them.

"Party?" Lydia grins, and Stiles knew that she had this plan all along. She had even said something about 'matching outfits' yesterday.

"I'm in," Scott replied, shrugging his shoulders. They all agreed. Stiles' agreement was reluctant, but still there.

"Awesome. It's past lunch now," Scott tells them, as he glances at the clock above the oven. "So everyone meet back here at...six? That gives us all time to figure out costumes, go get those costumes, and then do whatever else you need to do."

"Sounds great." Lydia claps her hands excitedly, and stands up. "Come on, Stiles. We have to take Liam home first."


	8. Liam

"Did you get all of your stuff?" Lydia asks, turning around in the passenger seat of Stiles' Jeep so she could talk to Liam in the back.

"Yeah." Liam pats his bag that's sitting beside him, and smiles. She smiles in return, and turns back around as Stiles reverses out of Scott's driveway.

"So what are you dressing up as?" She asks Liam, as she reaches over and intertwines her small fingers with Stiles' long ones.

"Me and Mason are going as Jedi's." Liam states, and Stiles turns around so quickly that he almost wrecks.

"Whoa, really?!" Stiles grins, finally steadying the wheel again.

"Yeah." Liam smiles, finally getting Stiles' approval on something. "What are you two going as?"

"I was thinking…" Lydia bites her lip, and looks at Stiles. He was terrified. "Doctor and nurse?"

"That's fine with me," Stiles shrugged, full of relief. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but this was actually a costume he could deal with.

"Good," She smiles, and squeezes his hand. They pull into Liam's driveway, and he starts getting his stuff together.

"We'll be back to get you and Mason at five-thirty." Stiles tells him, and he nods. He starts getting out of the Jeep, but then he hesitates, and stops all together. They both turn around to see what's wrong, and he's just sitting there with his head down, and his fingers fidgeting with his bag's shoulder strap.

"What's up?" Lydia asks softly, and Liam looks up at them.

"I know I tease you guys and everything, but I just wanted to say that I think you're great together. I know I haven't been around that long, but I can tell you have something really special, and have for a while, even if you never realized. I've never seen anything like it - the way you look at each other is just…" He starts, but then shakes his head. "I'm just happy for you is what I'm trying to say, I guess." He told them, and Lydia gulps and looks away. Stiles felt horrible and disgusted with himself. Lydia couldn't say anything. She couldn't speak, and he knew she needed him to do it for her.

"Thanks, Liam. That really means a lot. We're...really happy." He smiled at Lydia as best as she could, and she turned to Liam and forced a smile on her face.

"Yeah. That's really sweet, Liam," She replies, and then looks at Stiles. He could see in her eyes that she felt just as horrible as he did.

"Okay, I better go then," Liam smiles, looking relieved as he climbed out of the Jeep. "See you tonight."

"See you, man," Stiles smiled, being extra nice to him. Liam probably thought it was weird, but if he did, he didn't say anything.

"Oh my God…" Lydia sighed, and put her face in her hands as soon as Liam walked through his front door. Stiles breathed in deeply as he reversed back onto the road.

"I feel so horrible," Stiles groaned, gripping harder at the steering wheel.

Not only was it completely awkward for Stiles and Lydia because they really weren't dating, but they also had never felt worse for lying.

"Me too. It's so hard to lie to his face. He's like a puppy." She whines, and bites her lip like she's trying to hold back tears. "We have to stop this. I don't know what else to do."

"I know, but it's too late. We can't. We just broke the news to them - it'll be so much worse right now. We have to wait a few days at least." He sighs, rubbing his temples.

"Yeah, you're right." She replies, leaning her head against the window. He reaches over, and tangles their fingers together. She looks over at him and smiles, and he smiles back.

"It'll be fine. It's a prank remember?" He nods at her, and gives her an encouraging smile. He knew it was more than that, but he could at least try and make her feel better about it.

"Yeah. Thanks." She smiled, and turned so she could lay her head on his arm. He brought her hand up to his mouth, and kissed that back of it as he started slowing down the Jeep at a stop light. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," He told her, glancing between her and the road. She sat up and looked at him, and bit her lip. She hesitated, and then looked out the window. "Hey. You can tell me anything, Lyd, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I do," She shook her head, and smiled slightly. "It's nothing. Just forget I said anything."

"Are you su-" He started to say, but she interrupted by pointing in front of him and grinning.

"There! Stop right there, this is where I saw the costumes." She smiled, and knocked her arm against his. He complied, but he couldn't get his mind off of what she never got around to telling him. Even when they went inside, got their costumes, and drove back to Stiles' house, he couldn't stop thinking about what her question could have been.


	9. Just A Game

**I decided to update a little earlier than usual - enjoy!**

* * *

"Why are we here? You can just take a shower at my house." Lydia sighs, as she trails behind him while he walks upstairs. He tosses his phone onto the bed, and walks towards his dresser to get new clothes.

"I don't have any shampoo or body wash at your house, Lyd. And as much as I like the smell of vanilla on you, I'm not really sure it would fit my whole 'manly persona' I have going on for me." He laughs, and she does too.

"Well," She smiles, and turns him around to face her. "We could shower together. Since we're boyfriend and girlfriend now." She raises an eyebrow, and shrugs her shoulders. He opens his mouth to say something - he didn't know exactly _what_ yet, but as soon as he started to, she pushed his shoulder and broke out in a laugh.

"God, Stiles, you really thought about that for a second didn't you?" She smirks, and falls back on his bed, looking at him. She thought he would stutter and blush like he always did when she was jokingly sexual with him, but this time he decided to fight back.

"It's a good way to conserve water." He replies, knocking back with a witty response. "And what can I say? I'm all for going green."

She sits up in bed, and stares at him with her mouth open. He could see a small smile playing on her lips, which made him smile in return.

"Wow. I never thought I'd see the day where Stiles Stilinski playfully flirted back. I'm impressed," She bit her lip, and looked him up and down jokingly. "And kinda turned on."

He thought she would give up and let him win this one out of pure surprise, but she instantly pushed back even harder.

He walked up to her even though his heart was rapidly beating in his chest, and leaned down to where his elbow was propped beside her head, and his body was hovering over hers. She pushed her lips together as she stared in his eyes, and he stared back. He knew that this was a war to see who could hold out on fake flirting the longest, and he would win if it killed him.

He ran his hand along her side, and then leaned down and put his mouth to her ear as he slid his hand behind her back. She parted her lips and let out a breath, as he whispered in her ear.

"Forgot my phone," He mutters quietly, sending chills up her body. He pulls back, laughing, and grabs his phone out from behind her while he's at it, and slips it into his pocket.

"You _tease_ ," She accuses, trying to keep the smile off of her face.

"Hey, you started it," He laughs, grabbing fresh clothes from his drawers. He turns around, and Lydia immediately presses him against his dresser. There was a knob digging into his back, but that was the last thing he was thinking about right now.

"This isn't over," She smirks, and narrows her eyes. "I'll get you back at the worst time possible."

"Come on, Lyd, it was just a game," He laughed nervously, knowing how capable Lydia is of doing anything she set her mind to. That's what terrified him.

"Not anymore," She shrugs, pushing off of him, and plopping back down on the bed.

"Will you warn me at least?" He asks, desperate now. "Just warn me in advance so I can prepare myself."

"Oh, you'll know," She laughs and sighs, and then looks down at her phone. "You won't need a warning."

"You don't play fair!" He throws his hands in the air, exasperated. "I try to fight back once, and this is what happens."

"This is my game, Stiles. And I _always_ win." She locks her phone, and smiles at him as she lays her head on his pillow. "Besides, you should fight back more often. I like that side of you."

"Pretty sure that's just the slightly evil part of you talking." He laughs nervously, and scratches the back of his neck.

"No, _every_ part of me liked it," She admitted, smirking up at him. He turned around so he could grab his clothes, but he was really just hiding a blush. She knew that, of course, and she was proud of herself.

"I hate this game," He whines, as he walks towards the bathroom with his clothes stuffed under his arm. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay. Don't have any fun without me," She winks at him, and he squirms out of the room, hearing her laugh. He was so turned on that he didn't know what to do with himself. She had done that on purpose, obviously, but it didn't change the fact that his hands were sweating profusely, and his legs felt like jelly.

He got in the bathroom, closed the door, and his back slid down the door as he grinned stupidly with his face in his hands.

A few minutes later he was done with his shower, so he put on some clothes, and left the bathroom.

"Scoot over," Stiles tell Lydia as he walks in his room, rubbing a towel over his still-damp hair. He tosses the towel to the floor, and falls into bed next to her, sighing. "That hot water made me so freakin' tired. Also the fact that I got barely any sleep last night might have contributed to that as well."

"I'm pretty sleepy too," Lydia sighed, and snuggled up to him. "Mmm, you smell good."

"See?" He yawns, and puts his arms around her. He rested his chin on the top of her head, and they tangled their fingers together. "My manly persona coming through for me yet again."

"Mhmm," She hummed, laying her head on his chest. "It's working."

And that was the last thing he remembered, before dozing off into a dreamless sleep.


	10. Scrubs

**I tried to keep my updating to a schedule, but it's completely messed up now if you haven't noticed lol. You might want to check back every day just in case - I usually update at night!**

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"Stiles! Wake up!" He hears loudly, suddenly making him sit up with abruptness. Lydia was beside him, pinching his arm.

"What? What's wrong?!" He asks, looking over her body to make sure she wasn't hurt in any way.

"Our nap was way too long. It's already almost four forty-five! We have to pick up Liam and Mason in less than an hour, and I haven't even put a dab of makeup on yet! Let's go." She rushed him, pulling him off the bed.

"Jeez, Lyd, I thought you were friggin' dying or something," He rubs his eyes tiredly, and then she grabs his hand and leads him downstairs.

"This is the first time I've been to a party in a really long time," She waits for him to lock the front door, and then they walk fast to his Jeep, and get in. "I can't go looking like this, okay?"

"What do you mean 'like this'?" He laughs, glancing over at her as he pulls onto the road. "You look great. You always do."

She hesitates for a second, but then immediately starts talking at a million words per minute again, as if it would somehow get them there faster. "Thanks, Stiles, but I just can't show up and have my brand tarnished like that. I would be completely humiliated."

"Woah, wait a second. Your...brand tarnished?" He laughs, furrowing his eyebrows with confusion.

"I don't know if you remember, but at one point, I was the most popular girl at Beacon Hills. I threw the best parties." She sighs, and pushes down the mirror that's on the ceiling in front of her. She examines herself for a second, but then she groans, and pushes it back up.

"Okay, just because your hair isn't absolutely perfect 24/7 doesn't mean people are going to think less of you. And if they actually do care, that's just a great way to weed out the people you don't want to be friends with." He admits, shrugging his shoulders. "You look amazing all the time - whether it be in sweatpants or a sexy nurse costume."

"I have a reputation to uphold, Stiles. And I know you're just saying that because you're my friend." She laughs, as they pull into her driveway.

"Are you kidding me? No I'm not! You could walk out of scene of a car wreck and still be the most beautiful girl in the world, okay? Friend or not, it's true." He tells her, putting his Jeep into park. He looked down, even though he could feel her staring at him. He knew that was probably too far, and he kind of regretted saying it - only because they were friends, regardless of how he felt for her. Friends are supposed to be uplifting and supportive, but he knew he had gone past that point. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Thank you," She tells him, kissing his cheek. He looked at her and she smiled, and he smiled back.

"No problem," He nods, darting his eyes between hers. She bit her lip, and his stomach felt like he had just gone too many times on a merry-go-round.

"Come on," She snaps out of it suddenly, shaking her head and laughing. "We don't have much time."

"Yeah. Only like twenty minutes." He laughs too, and they run in her house.

"Okay," Lydia rushes up the stairs, with Stiles right behind her. She peels off her shirt and throws it on the bed, so he turns around and faces the wall. He rubs at the bridge of his nose, and tries to think of absolutely anything else.

"I'll be out of the shower in a minute," She sighs, and laughs when she sees him. "You know I wouldn't have gotten changed in front of you if I cared about you seeing me."

"It's...fine," He laughs, and squeezes his eyes shut. She laughed again, and he heard her walking to the bathroom.

"Put on your costume while I'm in the shower, please!" She yelled from the hallway, and he heard the bathroom door shut.

As soon as he heard that, he let out a long breath and turned around to let his back slide down the wall. He sits there for a minute, before composing himself, and walking over to the bag to grab his costume. It was just scrubs, really, so he got changed, and laid on the bed. He scrolled through his phone as he waited for Lydia. He heard the shower turn off, and then her using the blow-dryer for a few minutes. He sat up when he heard the bathroom door open, and a few seconds later she came through her bedroom door, and posed against it.

"And...what do you think?" She grins, bending her knee so she could prop it in the doorway, and throwing her hair back sexily. She inched her skirt up her thigh, and winked at him.

She had on a white-and-red nurse costume that was buttoned down low, thigh-high lace stockings, and red heels.

"I just think…" He gulps, and smiles. "That I got the short end of the stick. All I got was scrubs, and you got _that_."

"This costume is stemmed from the patriarchal idea that women always have to be sexy, even if they're saving lives. Which is...absolutely ridiculous and objectifying in every way possible." She rolls her eyes and he nods his head in agreement. "But tonight I don't care. We both look great." She grinned, and grabbed his hand. "Now let's go. We have to be at Liam's in five minutes."


	11. Talk

"Right on time," Lydia says as she reaches over and grabs Stiles' hand, while they watch Liam and Mason come out of his house. They were wearing long cloaks, and they had lightsabers in their hands.

"You both look super cute," Lydia turns around and smiles at them, as they climb into the back of Stiles' Jeep.

"Thanks," They both said in unison, grinning.

"You guys look great too," Mason laughed, buckling his seatbelt. "Liam told me about what happened. I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you." Lydia brings Stiles' hand to her cheek, and smiles at him. This was the kind of lovey-dovey stuff he's always wanted with Lydia, so he smiles back, and rubs his thumb across her cheek. Even though he wasn't pretending at all.

"Except they've been doing this all freakin' day," Liam groans, and laughs.

"Sorry," Lydia laughs too, and shakes her head. They still hold hands, as he drives over to Scott's house.

They walk inside, and Stiles grins as he sees them. Scott and Kira had dressed up like sailors. Kira was in a red and white striped shirt with blue shorts, Scott had on an all-white shirt and pants with one of those weird little blue tie things, and they both had on sailor hats.

"Oh my God I love it! You both look so adorable!" Lydia laughs, and hugs Kira. They laugh for a minute, and then all sit around the table.

"So where's this party at?" Stiles asks, putting his arm around Lydia. They hadn't kissed since that morning. Well, it wasn't really kissing, it was more like swapping food, but either way, he knew it would be coming soon, and it was nerve-wracking.

"We got invited to two - one from Julie Throll and one from Hunter Pulley. Which one do you guys want to go to?" Scott asks, looking between all of them.

"Julie's," They all agreed immediately. Hunter was that 'asshole jock' type, and Julie was a sweet girl they all knew from Trig. That wasn't a really hard choice.

"Okay, that's what I was thinking too," Scott laughed, and Stiles felt Lydia's fingers ghost across his neck absentmindedly. It wasn't long before it was her lips trailing kisses up his neck.

"Lyd," He gulped and looked over at her, and she was smiling innocently. Scott was saying something, but neither of them were paying attention.

"What's wrong?" She asks, still smiling.

"Okay, you win! You win. Game over," He sighs, shaking his head.

"You think this was my big move? Wow, Stiles, you've really underestimated me." She laughs, and sighs.

"It's not? Well what is your 'big move' then?" He gulps, trying to sound like he was completely careless.

"You think I'd actually tell you?" She looks at him and laughs, shaking her head. "That would ruin all of the fun."

"I'm sure it won't be very fun for me anyway," He groans, and she looks at him again. She smiles as she looks at his face, and then she runs her thumb over his lips.

"It'll be fun...for a little while, at least." She smirks deviously, and he doesn't even want to imagine what that might mean. He bites at her thumb, and she laughs as she pulls it away.

"You won't get away with it as easy as you think you will." He shrugs, faking confidence. He was actually terrified of what she might have planned; especially if it was in public. Knowing Lydia, it definitely would be. She would probably go easier on him if he fought back a little, because she liked the competition. If that's what she wanted, that's what she'd get.

"We'll see about that soon," She whispered in his ear, running her finger down his chest. He tried as hard as he could to look unaffected by her evil tactics. She could see right through it he was sure, but it was still worth a shot. Plus, she loves getting a reaction out of him, and he didn't want her to get it so easily.

He pinched her thigh, and she laughs, and lays her head on his chest. When they both finally started paying attention, they realized that no one was even talking anymore; they were all staring at Stiles and Lydia and grinning. He didn't know how long they had been watching them like that, and he was embarrassed by the thought.

"What are you guys talking about?" Scott asks, grinning the widest out of all four as he props his chin on his hand.

"Um, nothing?" Stiles laughs nervously, and starts tapping his fingers against Lydia's leg. She sensed his nerves, so she grabbed his hand, and intertwined their fingers together.

"We're just playing a game is all," She smiled up at Stiles, and shifted her body slowly against his crotch.

"Hey, I have to talk to Lydia for a sec," Stiles tells everyone quickly, clearing his throat. Liam makes a face. Stiles rolls his eyes at him, and picks Lydia up, before standing up himself, and setting her back down on the ground.

"Okay," Kira smiles, and Stiles quickly grabs Lydia's hand and pulls her to the living room.

"Wow, you can't even contain yourself until we get to the bedroom," She fanned herself with her free hand, and laughed.

"Lyd," He groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"What?" She laughs, poking his shoulder. "It's just a game, Stiles. Besides, we had to do that kind of stuff anyway before we even started playing. We're fake dating, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember, but that wasn't for them. You were just doing it to mess with me! And I…" He starts to say, but then he immediately clamps his mouth shut.

"You...what?" She asks, trying to fight a smile. "Just say it."

"I'm just saying that...It...It may be just a game for you, but I'm still just a teenage boy, okay? You can't just friggin' grind on me," He sighs, and puts his face in his hands, embarrassed.

"That was barely anything! God, I've never been able to get someone so flustered so easily," She laughs, but sees his face, and shakes her head. "Okay, I get it. Sorry. I just thought...I just thought it would be more fun if we could get our minds on something else. Something other than the fact that we're lying straight to our friends' faces."

"It's okay. I guess I understand." He laughs, scratching the back of his neck. Right as he was about to turn to look at her, her hands were already on his face, pulling him down to kiss her. He sighed against her lips, and tangled his hands in her hair. He didn't know what this was for, really, but he couldn't even clear his head for long enough to even think about it.

"Why…?" He whispered against her lips, breathing heavily.

"Someone's coming," She murmured back, before pulling him to her again. He ran his hands down her sides, as she jumped up, and he gripped under her thighs. Her legs were wrapped around his back, and he pressed her against the wall. Her lips were firm and desperate against his, and he could taste the familiarness of Lydia against his tongue. Her fingernails were scratching down his neck roughly, as he started inching his fingers up the sides of her dress.

"Stiles!" Scott laughed suddenly, and they jolted apart. Stiles couldn't believe that had just happened. He was so caught up in the moment, that Scott's voice just sounded like a dazed echo. "I didn't mean interrupt this...talk you guys were having."

"Hmm?" Stiles asks, slowly setting Lydia back on the ground. He could barely catch his breath.

"We're about to leave. Come on," Scott laughed, shaking his head. He walked out, and as soon as he did, Stiles turned to Lydia. She reached up and used her thumb to wipe off the lipstick from his mouth, and she was trying not to smile.

"You kissed me back," She narrowed her eyes, and looked up at him with pursed lips.

"W-What?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows. He wasn't quite recovered yet, and his mind was buzzing with millions of thoughts.

"You kissed me back. Before you even knew why I was kissing you," She tilted her head, smirking. "Before you knew someone was coming."

"Oh! No - No, I mean I knew someone was coming." He laughs, and shoves his hands in his pockets. "I just...I was going to ask why you, um, picked Julie's party over Hunter's. I thought you liked him."

"Weird timing to be asking that don't you think?" She crosses her arms, smiling.

"Thoughts occur to me at weird times, okay? Now let's go before they leave us." He grabs her hand, and pulls her into the kitchen.


	12. Party

"I can't believe Liam and Mason both chose to ride with Scott and Kira over us. We're supposed to be the cool couple." Lydia sighs, flipping through the channels on the radio in Stiles' Jeep.

"Yeah, well the fact that we're constantly making out in front of them might cross out that 'cool factor'." He laughs, shaking his head.

"Do you still get nervous at parties?" Lydia asks softly, putting her hand on his arm.

"No," He scoffs, looking over at her. "Why would you...think that?"

"Because you've been incessantly tapping your finger against the steering wheel since we've gotten in the car." She sighs, and laces her fingers with his. "I won't leave your side, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded, not trying to fight it anymore. She could see right through him, so there was no point. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me," She laughed, and laid her head on his arm. He adjusted it so that it was around her side, holding her hand.

"It's just kind of…" He sighs, trying to think of the right words to say. "I guess I would rather just spend days with my close friends, watching movies. Like last night. That's my ideal night. All of those people at parties - loud and crazy - it's just...not my thing."

"I get it. I've been getting more and more that way lately. I just know who my real friends are now, and that's all I need. You've made me realize that." She told him, rubbing her thumb over his hand, and looking ahead at the road.

"So where's Julie's house even at?" Stiles clears his throat a minute later, laughing. He had been engulfed in his thoughts about Lydia, and how much he loved her. Everything she said sent his head spinning.

"Umm," She sits up so she can see better, and points to a road. "That one. It's the third house on the right I think."

"Okay…" He grins, making a turn. "I didn't realize it would be that specific."

"Don't give me that look!" She laughs, pushing his shoulder playfully. "I tutored her in ninth. I'm good at directions, so what?"

"Wow, defensive much?" He laughs, making her rolls her eyes and laugh in return. He pulls into the driveway where the party obviously is, and takes a deep breath. It was already dark outside, and the music was so loud that he could hear it through the windows of his Jeep.

"You okay? We can just go back to Scott's if you want." She tells him, looking at him with worry.

"No, I'll be fine. Besides, we didn't buy these outfits for nothing." He laughs, and looks over at her. She nods, and smiles.

"Yeah, and we'll be the best-looking couple that's here." She grins, and squeezes his hand. "Ready?"

"Ready." He replies, letting out a breath, and opening the door. They immediately walked halfway around the vehicle to be together again, and held hands.

"And no," Lydia told him as they crossed the street.

"No...to what?" He asks, laughing with confusion.

"To your question. About liking Hunter? He's a huge jerk." She laughs, shaking her head. They're walking into the house now, dodging people holding red solo cups. He kept his full attention on this conversation, so he wouldn't have to think about where he was, and how crowded it is. "I only talk to him because he needed help with Chemistry homework."

"Jeez, Lyd, it looks like I'm not the only one who remembers stuff at weird times." Stiles laughs at the fact that that had come out of nowhere. She squeezes his hand and smiles up at him.

"Come on, I'm thirsty." Lydia yells over the music, and pulls him to the table with all of the drinks.

"Pretty sure this isn't the ideal remedy for dehydration," He laughs, looking at the wide variety of alcohol.

"Hey! There you guys are," They hear a voice, and turn to see Liam and Mason pushing towards them through the crowd.

"Hey!" Lydia replies, smiling. "Where's Scott and Kira?"

"They ran into someone they knew!" Liam answered loudly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh okay," Lydia nodded, and put her arm around Stiles' side. She poured them both a drink, and handed Stiles his, before taking a sip of hers. He took a drink, and then immediately spit it out.

"Jesus, Lydia, what is this?" He groans, wiping his mouth.

"Vodka!" She laughed, pouring the contents of his cup into hers.

"How can you even drink that? It burns," He laughs, shaking his head.

"I'm used to it," She shrugs, gulping it down. "You aren't going to drink anything?"

"I'll drink some Sprite," He smiles, pouring some into a cup. "I'm the driver, remember?"

"Fine," She sighs, and smiles. She grabs his hand, and pulls him through the huge swarm of people. "Let's go."

"Where...are we going exactly?" He asks, scanning his eyes over the crowd, looking for Scott and Kira.

"To sit down, dance, or find someone we know." She laughs, pulling him along. She was constantly taking sips of her drink with her other hand, as she navigated them through the hoards of people. The house was big, but so was the head count.

"Lydia?" Stiles hears a voice, so he turns.

"Hey Ross," Lydia replies, and pulls Stiles closer.

"How have you been? You look great." He looks her up and down, smiling. It made Stiles uneasy, but he stayed quiet.

"Good! I've been...great, actually." She smiles up at Stiles, and he smiles back. "This is Stiles by the way. My boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you." Stiles held out his hand nervously. Ross just looked down at his hand, and rolled his eyes.

"This guy? Really?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows. Stiles' feelings were hurt, obviously, because this guy was tall and buff and good-looking, and...completely right. It wasn't like he was blind to the fact that it just didn't make sense for someone like Stiles to be with someone like Lydia. He knew it, but it stung worse when someone pointed it out.

"Yeah, 'this guy'! What's wrong with him?" Lydia snaps back, clenching her jaw.

"Nothing! Nothing," He puts his hands up in defense, smiling. "Just...doesn't seem like your type, is all." He laughs, and takes a sip of his drink.

"Yeah, well maybe it's time for me to finally date someone who isn't a complete asshole to me for once," She replies angrily, and slaps the bottom of his cup so it spills all over him. "Come on, Stiles."

"Right behind you," He gulps, practically stepping on her heels.


	13. Party (Part 2)

**This is pretty much just a filler chapter, but it's decently long! I read you guys' comments, so I've lengthened them all a little more :)**

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They got as far away as possible, and that ended up being in a closet in the hallway.

"I'm sorry," She sniffs, wiping her eyes. They were sitting on the floor of the dark closet with their backs against the wall, and the only source of light was coming from a sliver underneath the bottom of the door. He couldn't see her, but he knew her eyes were puffy and her nose was red.

"What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything. You took up for me." He said softly, as he ran his hand over her hair for comfort.

"He's such a dick. God, I hoped that I'd never have to see him again," She gulped sadly, and lays her head on his shoulder.

"What happened with him? I don't think I'm a great fighter, but I'll go punch him if I need to." He laughs, trying to lighten the mood.

"No, it's okay. Thanks for the offer, though." She laughs, knocking her shoulder against his. "It was back in eighth grade. It isn't a great story, really, I just dated another guy who was a complete jerk. I met him at a party - he was from a different school. He was one of those tall, muscular guys, that have that winner smile that could convince you to do anything. God, it's a type, you know? They use that for their advantage. It didn't work with me, though, and he hated that. I finally was the one who broke the chain, and he despised me for it. I saw right through it all, and it pissed him off. I don't think anyone had ever broken up with him before I had. Long story short, he was mad, so he told everyone that we slept together."

He didn't really know what to say. He felt like a horrible friend, but his mind was blank on comforting words. She was always the one that was great at this stuff.

"Only a few people from our school heard about it, though. It's just...I was just a kid. It wasn't even true. He was cool for it, and I was a slut for it." She sighs, and he gulps. He runs his hand down her arm, until he found her hand, and laced their fingers together.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, laying his head on top of hers.

"Don't be," She laughed weakly, and squeezed his hand. "It was a really long time ago. Looks like he hasn't changed much though."

"He probably left after being humiliated." Stiles laughed, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "It's exactly what he wants for you to be thinking about him and being miserable, Lyd."

"I know. Yeah, I know." She sighs, and smooths out her dress.

"This is a once in a lifetime chance, okay? So don't get any ideas." He starts, and breathes in deeply, already feeling regret. "If you come out...I'll dance with you."

"Really?!" She clapped excitedly, and stood up. She gulped down the rest of her drink, opened the door, and grabbed his arm. "We need to get more of this first." She grinned, and held her cup up.

"One song!" He laughs, as she pulls him out of the closet and through the crowd. He stands around and waits for her to finish pouring her drink, cautiously looking around the room to make sure Ross wasn't in sight. He really, really didn't want to have another run-in with him tonight. Or for the next hundred years, for that matter.

"Come on," She grins at Stiles, holding her drink in one hand, and then grabbing his hand in her other.

"Stiles!" They both hear, and Stiles almost falls over from surprise. He turns his head to look, and there was Scott and Kira, holding hands, making their way towards them. The music was blaring, and sending vibrations up their body.

"Where have you guys been?" Stiles asks in Scott's ear, smiling. It was nice to see another familiar face. Stiles and Kira started talking to each other too, yelling over the music.

"Looking for you - we saw someone Kira knew and talked to them for a minute, but we looked for you guys for half an hour!" Scott replies loudly, shrugging his shoulders.

"We were in a closet!" Stiles answers, laughing.

"Okay, I don't have to be notified every time you two grope each other in a dark room," Scott laughs too, and shakes his head.

"Not like that!" Stiles blushes, and rolls his eyes. "We were hiding from her ex!"

"Oh..." Scott laughs, and then looks over at Lydia and Kira. "Let's dance!"

"Yes!" Lydia smiles, and drags Stiles to the living room where everyone was dancing. She laughed as she closed her eyes and swayed her body to the music, and gulped down her drink.

"Hey, maybe you should slow down on that!" He leaned in, and yelled over the music. She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and chugged down the rest of it, laughing.

"Just have fun, Stiles!" She bit her lip, looking in his eyes as she pressed her body against his, and slowly moved it against him. Her eyes flickered shut, and she ran her hands through her hair.

"Lyd, you're drunk," He whispered in her ear, sighing.

"You said you would dance with me," She slurred her words, laughing. She ran her hands down his arms until she found his, and she set them on her hips. "Put your hands on me." She mumbled in his ear, turned around, and reached up and linked her hands together behind his neck. She rolled her hips, and pressed her back into his chest, grinding against him. She leaned in, and whispered in his ear. "Fix me doctor. I'm so sick." She murmured, her hot breath sending chills across his body. She laughed, but he grabbed her arms.

"Hey," He backs up, and she turns around to see why. "You've had way too much to drink."

Scott and Kira were watching carefully, making sure everything was alright. Stiles waved them off, and Lydia was stumbling over herself laughing at nothing.

"I feel fine," She smiled and looked up at him, and glanced down at his lips. Her smile faded as she looked between his eyes and his mouth, and gulped. Stiles was in a trance, as he put one arm around her side, and his other hand tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The music was loud and upbeat, but the sound of his heartbeat thumping in his ears drowned it out.

"Stiles," She whispered, leaning her face against his hand. He couldn't hear her say his name over the music, but he could read her lips. He could feel the tension growing between them. In this room full of people, all he could see was her.

"Oh! Sorry man!" Stiles was suddenly knocked out of his reverie, when someone accidentally bumped into him.

"It's-It's fine." Stiles replied, even though he was sure it wasn't loud enough for them to hear. Lydia laughed softly, and laid her head on his chest.

They danced for a while, keeping a slow pace even though it was party music. After several songs had passed, Scott and Kira found them again, along with Liam and Mason, and announced they were about to head home. Lydia was the only drunk one, so they volunteered to take Liam and Mason home so Stiles could take Lydia. They said their goodbyes, and told them they would see them tomorrow.

"Lyd, we should probably go too. It's getting late. We've been here for like two hours." Stiles told her, pulling her away from the dancing.

"I need to pee first," She laughed, stumbling around to find the bathroom.

"No way you're going by yourself," He puts his arm around her back securely, and looks for a bathroom. "This place is a creeps dream."

"I can take care of myself, Stiles," She rolls her eyes, and hiccups.

"I know you can - in a sober state. Not right now, though, when you've had two cups of straight Vodka. I still don't know how you do that, by the way," He shakes his head, and pushes open a door. "Here's the bathroom! I'll wait out here."

"Okay." She laughed, and stumbled into it. He sat against the wall and waited for her until she came out, grinning. "I'm out."

"I see," He laughs, guiding her to the door they came in through, which seemed like centuries ago.

"Let me get another drink," She pulls his arm, but he stops her.

"No way! You're about to fall over already." He laughs, finally breathing in the fresh, crisp air from outside, instead of the stuffy, suffocating air from inside. She laughed and laid her head on his arm, nuzzling her face against his arm. They were finally together, alone, and he felt full of relief, as they made their way to his Jeep.


	14. Ride Home

"Hey!" Stiles hears as he's helping Lydia into the passenger side of his Jeep. He closes his eyes and gulps, as he shuts the door. Lydia laid her head against the window, and wrote her name in the layer of fog covering it.

Stiles had been really, really happy when they got out of the house safely - not having another run-in with Ross - but now it looks like his luck had changed.

"What do you want?" Stiles asks, crossing his arms, as he made his way to the driver's side. Ross had been crossing the street, but he was now already in a ten-foot range.

"Let me talk to her," He said, trying to walk around Stiles to get to her. Stiles put his hand against his chest, stopping him before he could get any closer.

"No way. She's plastered." Stiles replies, getting a bad feeling in his gut. Ross started to push past the force of Stiles' hand, but he stopped when Stiles spoke. "She told me what you did to her. You're a jackass, alright? And she's not accepting applications for those to be in her life right now. How about you check back again in about…" Stiles looks down at an imaginary watch on his wrist, and then looks back up at Ross. "Ten thousand years. Sound good?"

"Dude, just move," Ross rolled his eyes, pushing Stiles' chest. "You have no idea what happened. I just need to talk to her."

"I don't?!" Stiles asks, angrily grabbing Ross' wrist to stop him again. "Did you or did you not get mad when she broke up with you, so you told everyone that she slept with you? In eighth freakin' grade?!"

"You're really starting to piss me off," Ross clenched his jaw, but Stiles didn't allow himself to show any fear.

"I don't really care if I'm pissing you off. You're not talking to her, or even seeing her if I have anything to say about it." Stiles replied, trying to act tougher than he felt. "I'm sure you felt really good about yourself when you did that, right? You must have really felt like a man." Stiles mocked him; any sort of fear had already left him, and gotten replaced with fury. "You hurt her. Just stay away."

Ross had been putting on a front, but Stiles had made him mad enough to drop the facade, and show his anger. A sick, twisted smile appeared on his face, as he glanced over at Lydia in the Jeep.

"Everyone believed me anyway. You wanna know why?" Ross crosses his arms, and leaned into whisper to Stiles. "Because Lydia is a slut."

It was like Stiles blacked out. He didn't really remember what happened between the few seconds when he was just standing there, to when he punched him. Blood starts pouring out of Ross' nose, and Stiles walks up to him again as he's doubled over, grabs his collar, and punches him again. Stiles obviously knew that he had probably taken him off guard, and that's the only reason why he was actually getting a few punches in, but he didn't care.

"Don't ever," Stiles swallowed thickly, feeling fury and adrenaline working together to make his hands shake. "Call her that again. Ever."

He walked away, clenching his fists at his sides. He didn't even bother to turn around and see if Ross was laying in the grass, or even chasing after him. He didn't care. At all.

He got in the Jeep, slammed the door, and drove away. He knew people had been in the lawn watching, but he ignored them.

He didn't understand what had come over him. He was so angry with Ross, and if Lydia hadn't been in the car waiting, he was sure he would have done much, much worse to him. He kept telling himself that it was the small piece of Void left in him, making him do it, but he knew it wasn't. It was his own anger making him do those things, and it scared him.

He couldn't even look at Lydia. He was still furious at Ross and what he had said, and he didn't want her to see him like that. He needed to calm down, but his hands felt weak and shaky. He knew that his knuckles would start hurting badly in a few minutes, but for right now, his adrenaline had taken over and numbed the pain.

"Pull over," Lydia told him after a couple of minutes of driving, putting her hand on his arm. His nerves suddenly felt calmer - at ease. "Please."

"I'm fine," He replied quietly, staring straight ahead at the road.

"Stiles," She whispered, noticing his shaking hands.

"Okay," He sighed, putting his Jeep in park on the side of the road. He breathed in deeply, and Lydia grabbed his hand.

"No one...no one has ever done something like that for me before." She looked down at his hand, rubbing her thumb across the top.

"You saw that?" He tried to laugh, but it came out too weakly. She nodded slowly, staring aimlessly at the steering wheel.

"I'm sorry," He whispers, looking down in shame. He felt tears sting the back of his eyes, but he held them in as best as he could.

"Don't be," She muttered back, and then he felt her lips press against his swollen and bruised knuckles. She placed soft kisses against it, and she looked in his eyes. She lowered his hand, and the same tension from the party was somehow between them again; suffocating but liberating. Before he knew it, she had leaned in, and kissed him. Her hand was on his cheek, keeping her somewhat steady. He could taste the alcohol on her tongue; bitter, but he couldn't get enough of it.

"No," He stopped her, slowly pulling away. "We - we can't."

"Stiles, I want to kiss you," She smiled, her words slurring and her eyes hazy. He never thought he would ever hear her say those words to him.

"You wouldn't if you were sober," He laughs weakly, and buckles her seatbelt back up for her, as she sighs, and lays her head against the window.

"You are a good kisser, you know," She laughs too, and starts humming a song he couldn't recognize.

He couldn't believe they had just kissed. It was different this time; it wasn't for Scott or Kira to see it, and it had nothing to do with fake dating. They were in the car together, and she kissed him. That was it. And it was really, really high on his 'Best Things To Ever Happen To Me' list.

"Thanks," He laughs, feeling the pain in his knuckle starting to increase dramatically. He reached over, and held her hand. She smiled, and for the next few minutes, they both sang the soundtrack to 'The Lion King'. It was off-key, but neither cared.

"Here we are," Stiles smiled, putting his Jeep in park in her driveway. "Do you need help getting inside?"

"What are we doing here?" She asks, hiccupping as she puts her hand on Stiles' arm. "My mom…she can't see me like this."

"So...what do you want me to do?" He asks, quickly switching his headlights off so it wouldn't wake her mom.

"Can I just…" She stops mid-sentence and gets distracted by her hand. He had to snap in her face and laugh, before she laughed too, and finished her thought. Her eyes were droopy with drowsiness. "Can I just stay at your house tonight? My mom will kill me if she sees me this drunk."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's probably a good idea." He replied, and backed out of her driveway, making his way to his house. "Do you think you should text her and tell her?"

"Mhmm," She replied, fumbling around in her purse for her phone. She kept digging, unable to find it, before she groaned, and pushed it away angrily.

"Here, let me help," He laughed as he pulled up to his house, and turned his Jeep off. He switched the ceiling light on, and searched for her phone.

"I can't find it!" She whispered, tears filling her eyes. He didn't know why she was suddenly so emotional, but he was sure it was just the alcohol getting to her.

"Oh, Lyd," He laughed, pulling her into his side. "We'll find it. It's not a big deal, okay?"

"Okay," She nodded, as he swiped his thumb under her eye, pushing her tears away. He pressed his forehead against hers, and kisses her nose, before turning around to look in her purse.

"Here it is! See?" He smiled, holding it up. He was about to hand it to her, but then he thought better of it, and texted her mom himself.

"Let me do it," She reached for it, but accidentally knocked it out of his hand instead.

"Lyd! You're drunk. She'll know something's up when you send her a bunch of random jumbled letters. I know for sure you can't string together a coherent text right now." He sighs, picking the phone up from the floor of his Jeep.

"Fine," She huffed, crossing her arms dramatically.

"I'm just telling her that we're all staying at Scott's again, okay?" He asks, typing it out, and pressing send. She didn't reply, because she was looking out the window at the stars.

"Text Scott and tell him we made it safely. He's probably worried." She hums, and he looks at her for a second, before shrugging and scrolling through her contacts to find Scott. He composes a text, saying they made it to his house and that they're fine, but then something catches his eye. One of her previous texts to Scott had his name in it.

His eyes quickly scanned over the string of texts, trying to find out why. He didn't want to invade her privacy, really, but his nosiness got the better of him.

 _'Do you think Stiles is okay to go to this party? I know he has bad anxiety.'_ Lydia had text Scott, at 1:24 P.M. that day. That was when he had been taking a shower, he quickly realized.

 _'He'll be fine. It's gotten a little better lately, I think.'_ Scott replied, and Stiles kept scrolling through the list.

 _'Is there anything I can do for him? What calms him down?'_ She had answered, now at 1:26 P.M.

 _'You.'_ Scott replied. That's all he had said in that text. The next text was from him, too, before Lydia had gotten the chance to reply again. _'He'll be fine if you're with him.'_

 _'Okay, thanks. See you tonight.'_ Lydia sent last, at 1:31 P.M. Stiles set the phone down on his leg, and sighed. He was humiliated. He knew he shouldn't be, it wasn't his fault, but he was - oh, he was. That must have been only a few minutes before he came back in the room after his shower, and he had been clueless about it. He knew this wasn't about their fake dating scenario - she had been genuinely concerned for him.

"The stars are really beautiful tonight." Lydia sighed, and even though it was just a whisper, Stiles practically jumped out of his seat.

"Yeah," He gulped, looking out his own window to see them. Just then, Lydia's phone buzzed on his leg. He picked it up, and it read: _'Okay. Love you guys.'_

Stiles smiled. He was still embarrassed that Scott and Lydia had had this 'secret exchange', but he knew that both of them were only doing it because they loved him.

"Come on, Lyd," Stiles slipped her phone back into her purse, and she turned around and smiled at him. He wasn't sure the reason, exactly, but he was pretty certain that it had something to do with all of that Vodka she consumed. "Let's go inside."


	15. Nurse Martin And Doctor Stilinski

He walked her to the door, unlocked it, and then carried her upstairs bridal-style. She was laughing and giggling, and even though he didn't get the joke, he laughed along with her. He knew the not-so-fun part of being drunk should be coming soon, so he wanted to enjoy this while it lasted.

He sat her down on the bed when they got to his room, and switched a lamp on.

"Let me get these off of you," He laughed, and sat on the floor so he could take her heels off. He set them by his nightstand, and then rifled around in his drawers to find himself pajamas.

"You're just...so cute," She said, and he turned around to look at her. He blushed, and laughed.

"And you're really drunk," He replied, turning back around to pull out a T-shirt and some plaid pajama pants.

"That doesn't mean it's not true." She answered, but he just shook his head.

"It means you're not thinking straight." He swallowed thickly, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm gonna go get dressed."

"Stiles...I don't feel so great," She suddenly whispered, clutching her stomach. He knew what was coming next.

"Wait! Just hold it in a second," He replied, dropping his clothes on the floor and rushing to grab the trash can from beside his nightstand. She held her hand over her mouth, and he was a little late, but she had only started puking for a second before he had gotten the trash can in front of her.

He pulled a rubber band from around his wrist, and wrapped it loosely around her hair to keep it out of her face. She wiped her mouth, tears filling her eyes, as she handed him back the trash can.

"Are you done?" He asks softly, sliding the back of his hand from her forehead, to her cheek.

"Mhmm," She nodded, and gulped. He set the trash down on the floor, and stood up.

"You got some on your dress. Let's get you cleaned up." He sighs, and helps her to the bathroom. He unzipped her dress, picked her up, and set her on the counter while he ran warm water over a rag.

He had learned a long time ago how to separate friendship, and whatever else he felt for her. He was here for her as a friend right now; nothing else had even crossed his mind. He didn't even care that she was half-naked; in fact, he had barely even noticed. He knew when to put the barrier between the two feelings up, and now was one of those times, because she needed him.

She sniffed and rubbed her nose as he wiped her body off with a wet rag. He cleaned her arms, stomach, legs, and even wiped away the smeared makeup under her eyes.

"You really do look like a doctor right now," She laughed, shaking her head. He could tell she had sobered up some, but she still had those dazed, squinty eyes, that meant she was still almost completely intoxicated.

"I don't really think doctors do this," He smiled, rinsing the rag out under the sink.

"Taking care of people I mean. You always do that," She wasn't smiling anymore, but she was still watching him.

"Here," He said, handing her a capful of mouthwash. He wasn't really sure how to reply to what she said, so he didn't. "Maybe this will help wash the bitterness out."

She tilted her head back, and poured the contents of the cap into her mouth. She swished it around her mouth for a few minutes, swinging her legs back and forth off the counter in the meantime, before spitting it into the sink. He helped her down from the counter, and out of the bathroom.

"Here - this is all I have," He picked up the clothes he had dropped on the ground a few minutes before, and unfolded the shirt. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah," She smiled, and so did he. He put it over her head, and guided her arms through the sleeves. They hung down way farther than her hands, so he helped her roll them up until they were cuffed around her wrists. After that he squatted on the ground and held the waistband of the pajama pants, while she put her hand on his shoulder to hold her steady, and put her legs through. He had to pull the drawstrings really tight, before it finally stayed on her hips. She almost tripped every time she walked because the legs were so long, so they had to roll those up, too. She looked adorable as she walked to the bed with her oversized clothes, and rubbed at her eyes sleepily.

"Here," He said, pulling the blanket back, and helping her slide into bed. She laid her head on the pillow and smiled up at him, as he walked over to his dresser to find some more pajamas.

He knew she was watching, but she was practically unconscious, so he took his shirt and pants off. Well, scrubs, more like. He wasn't sure what to do with them since it was a costume, so he just shoved them in his drawer and forgot about them.

"Oooh, doctor, why are you naked? Aren't we supposed to give surgery…?" Lydia asked in an innocent voice. Stiles looked at her and laughed, as he put a different long-sleeved shirt and pajama pants on.

"I'm not participating in any of these sick role playing fantasies you have," He shook his head with a smile on his face, as he got into bed next to her. She turned to him and laughed too.

"Just messing with you," She smiled, as her eyes were drooping. "It's so easy to get you all hot and bothered."

"I am not 'all hot and bothered'." He laughed, and stared up at the ceiling like her.

"Mhmm," She turns to him and smiles, and then looks back up at the ceiling, folding her hands on her chest.

"But Nurse Martin," He puts on a deep, dramatic voice, deciding to play along. He knew she would laugh, and he would humiliate himself a million times over to make that happen. "I just can't resist you anymore. You come into work every day wearing those...sexy scrubs," He says, trying not to laugh "-and I can hardly take it. The surgery can wait - it's only brain damage."

"I thought you would never ask," Lydia replies, in a voice just as dramatic. "Take me now on this hospital bed, Doctor Stilinski."

Lydia burst out in laughter, tears forming in her eyes. She looked at him, and he busted out laughing too.

"We should be in a Soap Opera," She shook her head, still grinning minutes later. She grabbed his hand, and gently squeezed it as she stared up at the ceiling again. He stared blankly at the white ceiling too, for a minute, before turning to her. His heart skipped about one hundred beats as he looked at her. She was just looking at the ceiling, thinking, but even seeing her do something so simple made him need to catch his breath. She did normal human things like everyone else, but it all seemed so different to him when it was her.

"This smells like you," She smiled, holding the sleeve of her (his) shirt against her nose.

"That may be because it's mine," He laughs, brushing it off. He couldn't let those little comments like that get to him. If he did, he would be in a much worse position than he is now. He tried as hard as he could not to dwell on the things she said like that, but sometimes it kept him up at night, staring up at his ceiling thinking. It was like somewhere, in a different universe, she loved him too, and sometimes those universes crossed paths to make her say those things that got his heart racing.

"Do you think we'll ever get out of Beacon Hills?" She asked, changing the subject. "For college, maybe, but I mean our family is still here. I don't...I don't want to fight off monsters my whole life, Stiles." She whispers, but he heard it perfectly.

"I don't either, Lyd. I want to be normal, you know? I...want to have a family someday." He looked at her as he said it, and she turned on her side to face him. "I don't know if that's ever going to happen, though. I feel...selfish, I guess, for wanting that when people need to be saved. To want that when some people don't have a chance at all for it."

"No, that's not selfish." She whispers again, putting her hand against his cheek. "There are countless amounts of people that you've made that happen for. People who were in danger, but you saved, so they can go have all of that now. You deserve anything you want, Stiles. You've earned it."

He sucked in a deep breath, and turned to look at the ceiling again. It was hard to look at her sometimes. He was always scared that one day she would see the look on his face, finally see it, and realize that he was in love with her this whole time. So when she said things like that, he couldn't look at her.

"Can I, um, tell you something?" He asks, swallowing thickly. She was still on her side, looking at him, but he couldn't look at her. Not yet.

"Yeah. Of course," She replied softly, putting her hand on his arm. His heart was beating so fast, that blood was rushing through his ears, causing them to start ringing loudly. It was one of the most impulsive things he's ever done, because here, right now, he was feeling so much for her that he couldn't take it, and he knew that there was a good chance she wouldn't remember this anyway.

"I…" He starts to say, and then closes his eyes. "I'm in love with you. I'm really in love with you, Lydia, I have been for years. I don't think I'll ever feel this way about anyone else. I just...I love you." He whispers, barely audible. He wonders if it was even audible at all for her, because she didn't reply. After about ten seconds, not being able to take it anymore, he turned to her.

He smiled weakly, and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Her eyes were shut, and her breathing was even. She had fallen asleep. It was kind of a relief. It was like God was giving him a second chance not to ruin his whole life by not letting her hear his confession. Even if she fell asleep, it felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders just by saying it out loud.

"Goodnight, Lyd," He whispered, and pressed a small kiss to her forehead as he turned the lights out.


	16. Wake-Up Call

"WAKE UP!" Stiles hears, and then feels something hard ram into his leg. It would definitely leave a bruise, whatever it was. "Looks like you two got cozy last night." Scott. Of course.

"God, Scott, how did you even get in here?" Lydia groans loudly against Stiles' neck, and buries her face even deeper into the pillow.

He suddenly remembered the night before, and smiled. He couldn't believe Lydia could possibly be awake right now; she had had so much to drink, that he thought she would sleep until at least noon. Then again, he wasn't sure what time it was now.

"I have a key, of course," Scott laughs, jumping on the bed, occasionally stepping on Stiles' legs. "Stiles, wake up! It's the day after Halloween, so we can get the best candy for really cheap."

"Candy?" Stiles sat up, and rubbed his eyes.

"Bags upon bags of it," Scott grinned, halting his jumping momentarily.

"Come on, guys, we need to go before it's all bought out." Kira says from the edge of the bed, smiling.

"I have a killer headache," Lydia complains, pulling the blanket onto her head. "God, I can't even barely remember last night."

Stiles was really happy about that. He had told her he loved her, and he had immediately regretted it. He wouldn't really mind her forgetting that he punched Ross, either.

"That's because you drank so much," Stiles laughed, and yawned. She opened her eyes, and smiled as she looked up at him.

"You're so cute in the morning." She sighed, her eyes darting around to look at his face.

"You're always cute," He smiled, running his thumb across her lips. She laughed and grabbed his shirt, pulling him on top of her. Her hair was fanned out against the pillow, and he was kissing her. It was gentle and playful, and neither cared that they hadn't brushed their teeth yet.

"Okay, I'm not usually the one to break up a love fest, but this time is a special occasion because half-price clearance candy is at risk," Stiles hears him say, but barely. He couldn't pay much attention to Scott right now, because his thoughts were clouded by Lydia's lips on his, and the way they were curving up in a smile.

"Mmm, go without us," Stiles insisted, and then immediately leaned back down to kiss her. She laughed, and put her arms around his neck.

"No way! I'm sure you had plenty of time to do...this...last night. Let's go." Scott replied sternly - well, as sternly as Scott could - and started pulling Stiles off of Lydia. She laughed as she watched him being dragged off the bed, and she stood up herself. Stiles watched as she looked down at her clothes, and the puzzled look on her face notified him that she didn't remember how his clothes got on her. He really hoped she didn't think he was a creep - it wasn't like that. He needed a chance to explain.

"Let's go! All the good stuff is probably gone already," Scott whined, and pulled Stiles' arm until they were leaving the doorway of his room.

"I'm still in pajamas!" Stiles complained, but Scott was already running towards the front door. Kira passed Stiles and ran behind Scott, both of them laughing like little kids.

"Come on," Lydia grinned, grabbing his hand, and following them. He was relieved that she obviously wasn't too worried about last night, but he still really needed to talk to her. He really didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

"Rub my head?" Lydia asks when they get in the backseat of Kira's car, laying her head down on his lap. "It freakin' hurts."

"Yeah, sure." He laughs, pushing his fingers through her hair, and rubbing them into her scalp.

"Mmm," She sighed, relaxing and closing her eyes. "Harder."

"Whoa, you guys better save it for when we get home. No sex in my backseat." Kira says from the passenger seat, and Lydia laughs.

"Just a head rub. Not an orgasm." Lydia laughs, still as relaxed as ever. Stiles involuntarily tensed up at that, and she opened her eyes when she noticed. "What?" She whispers, smirking. "Wish it was?"

"Very funny," He rolled his eyes, hoping she doesn't see the blush on his face. "But no."

"Mhmm. Sure." She smiled, and closed her eyes again. He laughed, and pinched her nose. She just smiled, and scrunched it up.

"It's only 8:30? Jesus Christ, it's not even a school day, Scott." Stiles complained, as he finally checked his phone.

"Do you want the candy or not?" Scott questions, and Stiles rolled his eyes for the millionth time this morning.

"Yes. Of course I want the candy." Stiles sighs, as they pull into the parking lot.

"Just grab all of the good stuff as fast as you can, okay? Meet at the register in two minutes." Scott turned around and looked at them, and Lydia sat up, getting prepared. He told them the plan as if it was just as serious as the pack going on a hunt for the new monster in town. "Go."

They got out of the car, and ran inside. They all separated; grabbing the best kinds they could find before someone else could get it. The place was packed with people with the same plan as them, but they still managed to get some name-brand stuff.

They met back up at the cash register, and ended up getting about eight full bags of assorted candy. Stiles and Lydia got a few strange looks from people in the store because of their pajamas, but they were too tired to care.

"Hey," Lydia whispered up at him as they were standing in line. She smiled, that beautiful Lydia smile where she blinked slowly from tiredness, and her dimples showed.

"Hey, Lyd," He smiled back, and used his fingers to push a few strands of hair from her face.

"They're watching us," She bit her lip, looking in his eyes. Before he could reply, she had pulled him down, and pressed her lips to his. His stomach lurched nervously like how it always did on the first day of school, as he put his hands on her waist. Her lips were soft, and it only took about two seconds before he was completely breathless. Her hands were gripping at his shirt, pulling him as close as she possibly could.

This seemed different than before somehow. It was so deep and passionate, and he didn't know how that could be happening in the middle of a grocery store, the least romantic spot ever, but it was. It was the kind of kissing that made everyone around feel uncomfortable, because it was so intimate.

"Guys," Kira whispered, holding bags in her hands, and knocking her shoulder against Scott's. "You're holding the line up."

They pulled apart and looked at each other. Both of their breaths were shaky, and Stiles gulped. It took a second for either of them to move. Lydia slowly grew a smile on her face, and then looked away from Stiles.

"Sorry," She told the people that were in line behind them, grabbed Stiles' hand, and they followed Scott and Kira to the car. Stiles' heart was still pounding.

"I think that was pretty successful." Scott grinned leaning in to kiss Kira as they got in the car.

"I'm sleepy." Lydia whispers, snuggling into Stiles' side. She slips her hands under his shirt, pressing her cold fingers against his back. "And cold."

"I noticed. Your hands are freezing" He laughed, but it was a weak attempt. She didn't seem to notice, though, as she breathed in deeply, making herself comfortable.

"You love it Stilinski," She smiled, with her eyes still shut. He laid his head against the window, and fell asleep thinking ' _yeah, I do'_.


	17. God, I Love You

"Hey, wake up," Stiles heard, blinking his eyes open. Kira had turned around in the passenger seat to talk to them.

Stiles turned to look at Lydia - who was laying on his arm - but she was still sound asleep.

"Do you want some coffee? We're at Starbucks." She said, and the thought of coffee alone immediately sent a rush of energy through him.

"God, yes," He replied quietly, not wanting to wake Lydia. He gave Kira his order and she wrote it down.

"What about Lydia?" She asks, and they both turned to look at her. She looked like she was in a deep sleep.

"We all need the coffee - we're having a Harry Potter marathon when we get back to my house," Scott grinned in the mirror at Stiles, as he pulled into the Starbucks drive thru.

"Oh, that sounds awesome," Stiles grins back, giving a thumbs-up. "Lyd likes the Pumpkin Spice Latte, two sugars, and an extra pump of whipped cream. That's her favorite drink from here in autumn time. Oh - and add two espresso shots to each of our drinks. We'll need it."

"Okay," Kira smiles, impressed with him as she writes it all down. Scott orders it all, and they wait a few minutes before the order is finally ready.

"Who's the extra one for?" Stiles asks, watching as Kira sorts through all of the cups of coffee.

"It's for Liam. We're picking him up on the way home." Scott yawns, and grabs his coffee cup.

"I'll hold Lyd's until she wakes up," Stiles tells Kira, and she hands him both. As soon as it reaches his hands, though, Lydia's head perks up, almost knocking one of the drinks over.

"Oh, sorry!" She laughs, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was messy and sticking up on all sides. "Is that coffee?"

"Yes." Stiles laughs, handing her cup to her. She takes a huge whiff, and moans. "It's your favorite."

"Pumpkin Spice Latte, two sugars, extra pump of whipped cream?" She asks, biting her lip and looking hopeful.

"Yes - along with two espresso shots. I figured it might help a little." He smiled, feeling proud of himself.

"God, I love you," She grinned, put her hand on his cheek, and kissed him. His head pressed against the window, and his eyes were wide open.

"Drink up." He forced out a laugh, pulling away from her. She didn't pay attention to his weird behaviour - she just started drinking her coffee with a grin on her face.

She had just told him that she loved him. She had never said that to him before. He couldn't tell if it was for the whole 'fake dating' charade, or if it was just a friend appreciating another friends kindness. Either way, he started feeling sick to his stomach.

Scott must have either picked up the tension from him, or heard his heart start racing suddenly, because he caught his eye in the mirror. Stiles quickly turned away, and took a drink of his coffee, pretending like he hadn't seen him.

Lydia didn't even act like anything was wrong. She just laid her head on his arm, and drank her coffee while looking out the window.

"Want to trade for a sec? I want to taste yours," She smiles up at him, and holds hers out.

"Sure," He laughs, trying to act like nothing was wrong. How could she not know?

They swap cups, and both take a drink of each other's. She scrunches her nose as she swallows the hot liquid.

"That's kind of gross," She laughs, licking the rest off of her lips.

"I guess it's an acquired taste. My dad used to get it every morning on the way to take me to school, and he'd give me a drink. I don't know, I just got used to it." He laughs shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh," She smiles, and looks down at the cup. She shakes her head, and looks up at him. "Taste mine."

He takes a sip, and his eyes widen.

"Wow." He laughs, feeling the warm coffee slide down his throat. "That's freakin' good. Really sweet, though. And hot."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't like it if it wasn't," She smirks, looking in his eyes. He was sure she hadn't meant for it to sound so sexual, but then he remembered that this was Lydia he was talking about, and this was what she lived for.

"I have to admit, you're quick with the innuendos," He laughs, taking another sip of her drink.

Before he could process anything after that, they were kissing. It took him a second, but then he was kissing back. The taste of both of their coffee's mixed together was heavenly against his tongue, and right as he was about to deepen the kiss, she pulled away, leaving him with his eyes still closed, and his lips pursed against nothing but air.

"You were really getting into that, weren't you?" She smirks, leaving him speechless. "You just had some whipped cream on your lips - I couldn't resist."

"And you call me a tease," He laughs, shaking his head.

"I'm great at what I do," She shrugs her shoulders, and looks down to admire her nails.

"Hey, Lyd," He whispers, tapping his fingers silently against the seat. "We need to talk. About last night."

He needed to tell her what had happened with her dress, and why she was in his clothes. He couldn't let her think he was a pervert or anything. He was sure she didn't anyway, but he had to clear things up as soon as possible.

"What about last night?" She asks, turning to him and furrowing her eyebrows.

"How much...do you remember of it?" He asks, keeping his voice low.

She opened her mouth to answer, but then the door opened, and Liam got in the car next to Lydia. They both immediately clamped their mouths shut, and dropped the subject for now.

"We'll talk about it later, okay?" She smiles at Stiles, and held his hand. He nods.

They all said hi to him, Scott asked if he had fun last night, and then Kira gave him his coffee.

"Thank God - It's freezing outside." He smiled, wrapping his fingers around the cup for warmth.

Lydia laid her head on Stiles' arm, and he gave her one small kiss on the lips, and then another on her forehead. She beamed up at him, and he forced himself not to gulp, because she's close enough to be able to see it. It was times like these when he felt like they weren't doing it for Scott, Kira, or Liam to see. It felt like so much more than that. For his own sanity's sake, though, he ignored that thought.


	18. I Remember

"We have to talk for a sec," Stiles tells Scott, while getting pulled upstairs by Lydia. "We'll be right back."

"Doubt there will be much talking!" Scott yells after them, laughing. They ran the rest of the way up the stairs, and laughed as they ran and jumped on Scott's bed.

"I have so much energy." Lydia tied her hair up, and started jumping up and down on the bed.

"I do too," He laughed, and his head whirled as he stared up at the ceiling. His hands were shaking, and for once in his life, it wasn't from nerves. It was from the two espresso shots he and Lydia had in their coffee. "We need to talk."

"Just jump for a minute," She laughed, breathing heavily as she jumped high enough to touch the ceiling.

"Lyd," He complains, but can't help but smile at her.

"Stiles," She stuck her bottom lip out, mocking him, and trying not to smile.

"Shut up," He laughs, pulling her legs and making her lose balance. She falls on the bed, laughing.

"No fair." She grins, poking his chest. He grins back, and grabs her finger, stopping it.

"You totally deserved it," He laughed as he intertwined their fingers. He couldn't help but feel like their hands were pieces in a puzzle that fit perfectly together. Like they had been made to.

"You wanna know what I remember last night?" Her smiles fades, as she looks in his eyes, still breathless. He nods slowly, suddenly terrified. What if she hadn't been as drunk as he thought she had? What if she had actually heard him tell her he loved her and remembered it? "I remember you punching Ross. Twice. Everything's blurry after that."

"I...hoped you hadn't remembered that part." He sighs, biting the inside of his cheek. That was better than the alternative, though.

"I didn't, actually, until you handed a bag of candy to Scott in the store. I saw your bruised knuckles and remembered." She smiled weakly, staring at the bruises now. "Why did you do it? What did he say to you?"

"He - he was being such a dick. He wanted to talk to you, but I wouldn't let him. And then he called you...he said something horrible, and I couldn't help it. I didn't mean to punch him, it just happened." He admitted, scared she was mad at him. "I guess...the second punch was kind of on purpose though."

"I wish I had been sober enough to remember it all," She laughs, looking at nothing like she was trying to picture it. "I bet his face was priceless."

"It really was," He half laughs, half gulps. "I hate that guy."

"What did he even call me? It must have been bad for you to punch him like that." She asks quietly, looking at their fingers tangled together.

"I...don't want to say. I can't repeat it." He looked away from her.

"I'm sure it's not really hard to guess anyway." She breathes out shakily. A few seconds passed, and she curled up beside him. He put his arms around her, and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you."

"Don't...thank me for that." He answered, trying to keep his voice steady. She turns around in his arms, and smiles at him.

"Too late." She whispers, and they're so close that their noses are just barely touching. She rubbed their noses together slightly, giving him an eskimo kiss. He was pretty sure that it was just her moving slightly, but he pretended she did it on purpose.

"Hi," He smiles, looking into her eyes.

"Hi," She smiled in return, running her fingers through his hair. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted it more than anything else in the world right now, but he knew he couldn't. There has always been excuses before, like convincing everyone they were fake dating, or the fact that Lydia had been drunk. If he did it now, it would raise way too many questions that he didn't exactly want to give the answer to. So he didn't.

"We're waiting for you two! Stop humping each other and come watch the movie!" Scott yelled from downstairs, making them both laugh.

"Just a sec!" Stiles yelled back, turning his head. Lydia took that chance to bury her face in his neck, making him laugh. "We still have something else to talk about."

"What?" She groaned, and he laughed again as he pulled her off of him. She squinted her eyes, folded her hands on his chest, and propped her chin on them so she could look at him. He put a pillow behind his head and sat up slightly so he could see her better.

"Did you not wonder how you got in those clothes? Or wonder what happened at all last night?" He asked, twirling his finger around a curl in her hair.

"Tell me." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"How could you just not remember a whole night and be okay with that?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows with confusion. He couldn't even imagine that.

"Because I trust you, Stiles. I knew you would take care of me." She sat up, still looking at him. "Plus the fact that you keep bringing it up means that nothing too bad could have happened."

He laughed, and shook his head.

"I drove to your house after the fight, but you said you didn't want your mom to see you drunk. We went to my house, and you threw up. Most of it was in the trash can, but some of it got on your dress. I took you to the bathroom and took your dress off, and cleaned you up a little. Then I gave you some of my clothes, and we went to bed. That was it, I swear." He admitted, and she laughed.

"So you didn't cop a feel?" She grinned, and he rolled his eyes.

"That's not even funny, okay?" He sat up, and put his face in his hands.

"Okay, okay!" She laughed, and moved to sit beside him."I know you would never do anything like that, alright? I wouldn't joke about it if there was even a tiny chance. It's just...funny, I guess, that you thought that I'd actually think you would do something like that. I know you so much better than that, and I can't believe you hadn't realized it by now."

"I just...didn't want you to think I was some creep or something." He sighed, and turned to look at her.

"Stop." She laughed, shaking her head. "I believe you. Thanks for taking care of me."

"No problem." He smiled, feeling relieved. They both stood up, about to go downstairs, but she pressed her hand to his chest as he was about to walk through the doorway.

"That Doctor costume was so sexy." She bit her lip, smiling playfully. "Maybe you could wear it again for me sometime."

"We already played this game last night," He laughed as he turned her around, trying to get her to move.

"What game?" She turned back around, and gripped her hands on the doorway so he couldn't pass. He sighed, and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Ooh, Doctor Stilinski, why are you naked? Aren't we supposed to be giving surgery?" He said in a high-pitch voice, trying to mimic Lydia. Then he furrowed his brows and put on a deep voice. "But Nurse Martin, I can't resist you anymore. You're scrubs are so sexy, I can barely take it. Besides, it's only brain damage. It can wait." Now back to Lydia's voice, he said: "Take me now on this hospital bed Doctor Stilinski."

"No way." She grinned, her mouth hanging open.

"Yes way," He laughed, crossing his arms. "The whole 'doctor and nurse love affair' happened last night, and you missed it."

"Wow. I must have been really drunk to forget that. It's probably the reason why I was so turned on when I woke up this morning." She smiled smugly, looking up at him through her long lashes.

"Shut up," He whined, blushing. She laughed and let him turn her back around this time, as they descended the stairs.

"You really did look good in it, though." She whispered, and took his hand.

"Same to you," He laughed, leaning down and kissing her temple. They joined the others in the living room, and made themselves comfy on the couch while they got ready to play the first Harry Potter movie.


	19. Romione and Stydia

"Finally!" Liam groans, sitting up to look at them as they walk in. "Scott and Kira were making out the whole time, and you two...I honestly don't even think I want to know."

"Yeah, you really don't." Stiles shrugs, and Lydia laughs and looks up at him.

"Oh God." Liam rolls his eyes, and Kira laughs.

"Sorry Liam. I know it probably sucks." Kira smiled weakly, and put her head on Scott's shoulder.

"It's fine. I just can't understand how _Stiles_ got _Lydia_ , is all. I guess it's just a mystery." He smiled innocently at Stiles, and Lydia threw a pillow across the room at him.

"Shut up, Liam." Lydia rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed.

"You're right. I don't know how I did it, either." Stiles turned to Lydia, looked in her eyes for a second, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her. They all groaned, and Stiles and Lydia laughed against each others lips.

"God, could you get any lamer?" Liam whined, and grabbed the remote. "Now will you stop sucking faces for a while so we can get this marathon started?"

"What, jealous?" Stiles retorted, wrapping his arms around Lydia. " _You_ wanna kiss me, Liam?"

"I think I just puked in my mouth a little." Liam shakes his head, scrunching his nose up.

"Yeah right - you'd enjoy every second. Don't lie." Stiles laughs, and Liam just continues to shake his head.

"I do." Lydia turns his face to look at her, and she leans in to kiss him. "I enjoy," She whispered against his lips, and then kissed him again. "Every." Again. "Single." Again. "Second."

"You guys are even grosser than me and Kira are." Scott laughed, pulling Kira onto his lap. "And that's saying a lot."

"They really are," Liam gave an exaggerated sigh, and buried his face in a pillow. Stiles was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"I'm starting the movie." Liam announced loudly over the sound of them making out, pressing play.

"Fine! We're done." Stiles pulled away, and grinned at Lydia.

"Finally," Scott laughed, and Stiles shot him a look. He was about to give a smartass comeback, but then he heard the opening music and couldn't help but turn and watch.

By the middle of the first movie, Stiles and Lydia were already spooning. His chin was on top of her head, his arms were wrapped around her waist, one of her hands were holding his, and the other was tracing light circles on his arm absently.

"That's you guys." Liam pointed to Ron and Hermione.

"What?" Lydia asked, looking over at Liam.

"You guys remind me of Ron and Hermione. Except the hair is the opposite. Lyd has the red hair and Stiles has the brown hair." He laughs, still watching the TV.

"No way." Stiles laughs, but then Scott sits up.

"No, he's right! He really is." Scott grinned, looking at them. "I can't believe I hadn't thought about that before."

"In what way?" Lydia asks, looking at them.

"Okay, Lydia's super, _super_ smart like Hermione. Way smarter than Ron - no offense, Stiles. Stiles is Ron, the funny sidekick. They bicker at each other their whole lives, and then end up falling in love. Everyone around could see the connection but them. That's just like you two." Scott grins, shrugging his shoulders.

"You guys are ridiculous." Stiles laughed, shaking his head. He couldn't help but realize that there really was some truth to it. Except for the part where Lydia loves him back.

"What's our name? Like Ron and Hermione's is Romione, so what's me and Stiles'?" Lydia asks, trying to think. Stiles had completely dismissed the idea, but Lydia immediately seemed into it; trying to think of their relationship name. That made Stiles happier than he was willing to admit.

"Lyles." Scott says, but shakes his head, thinking again. Stiles already knew what he was going to say - Stydia. Scott had been calling them Stydia for months now, without Lydia's knowledge of course, but he was pretending like this was the first time he's ever even thought about it. Stiles was really glad about that. "Wait - Stydia. That's better."

"Stydia. That's not too bad, actually." Lydia looked up at him, laughing and shaking her head. "I've definitely heard worse."

"Scott and I have already thought of ours. It's Scira." Kira laughed, and Lydia opened her mouth, smiling.

"That's so cute." She bit her lip, and looked at Stiles to see his reaction to it. He smiled too, of course, because even though he's heard 'Scira' thousands of times, Lydia looked so happy saying it, and that made him happy. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah. So cute." He laughed, but his mind was somewhere else entirely. Seeing Lydia lighting up with excitement, even over something this simple, was the reason he was alive on this planet. He was sure of it.

When they were finished with their conversation, Stiles and Lydia cuddled again, and they played the movie. Hours went by while they watched number one, two, and three.

"It's actually fun watching movies with Stiles," Liam yawns and stretches, sitting up on the couch. The third movie had just ended, their stomachs were stuffed with all kinds of candy, and they felt like zombies.

Stiles smiled, and was just about to ask ' _really?_ ', but Liam talked again before he could.

"It's the only time he's not talking." Liam sat up, smiling, and Stiles' mouth dropped open. He unwrapped himself from Lydia, and fell off the couch.

"You're such a little punk." Stiles got up and limped towards him because his leg was asleep.

"I'm not scared of you." Liam crossed his arms, laughing. Scott, Kira, and Lydia were laughing, too, waiting to see what happened. Stiles finally got to his feet, and got Liam in a headlock. Suddenly Liam had grabbed his arms, and flipped him over onto his back.

"It's only because you're a friggin wolf!" He groans, rolling over on his side. "I'd kick your ass if you weren't."

"Sure you would." He laughs, leaning down and patting Stiles' back. He starts to walk to the kitchen, so Stiles reaches out and pulls his foot, making him trip.

"Ha!" He says, pointing at him and laughing.

"Good job! You just tripped a seventeen year old. You should be so proud of yourself. Really." Liam tries to hide his smile, but it was easy to see.

"Yeah, well I am." Stiles replies, fixing his shirt as he stands up.

"You're both such boys," Lydia laughs and pushes past them on her way to the kitchen. Stiles quickly followed behind her pitifully, and put his arms around her. She laughed, and tangled their fingers together.

"What are you getting?" He asks, leaning down to prop his chin on her shoulder while she sifted through the pile of candy in front of them.

"I can't decide. There are way too many to choose from." She laughs, and turns her face to look at him. They were close enough that it made his heart speed up. "Any suggestions?"

He quickly turns away and looks at all of the candy; afraid, again, that she would be able to see his feelings for her in his eyes somehow.

He rifles through the candy, and pulls out a snack-size Mound bar. He holds it up, and grins. "It's hard to choose. There are _mounds_ of it."

"Good one," She laughs, giving him a high-five.

"Not my best, but it was spur-of-the-moment, so I get extra points." He smiles, and then Kira, Scott, and Liam walk into the kitchen.

"I hate to stop in the middle of this marathon, but me and Kira have Biology homework to do. We'll have to finish the movies some other time." Scott sighs, and Kira puts her arms around his waist.

"That's okay, I have some homework I really need to do too." Stiles groans, looking at the clock. It was almost 4 P.M. now.

"I'll come over and help you, Stiles." Lydia tells him, and then looks at Liam. "We'll drop you off on the way. Stiles' Jeep is at his house, so we'll have to ride together in my car."

"That's fine. Thanks." Liam nods, and they all grab some candy, say their goodbyes to Scott and Kira, and head out the door.


	20. Homework

**This one's really long! Hope everyone enjoys it!**

* * *

"Wait, you're really going to help me with homework?" Stiles asks, noticing Lydia getting out of the car when they pulled up at his house after dropping Liam off. "I thought that was just for show."

"So we can't even hang out as friends anymore? Only fake boyfriend and girlfriend?" She laughs, leaning against the wall as he unlocks his house.

"I mean yeah, of course we can," He laughs, pushing the door open, and walking upstairs. "I just figured you wouldn't want to come over after spending time with me all weekend, is all."

"Shut up," She knocked her shoulder against his, and furrowed her eyebrows like she couldn't understand why he would ever think that. He would never tell her this, but her saying that was a huge relief. She splayed her body across his bed, sighing. "Besides, homework is relaxing."

"God, you need to come over every time I have some then." He laughs, picking up clothes off the floor.

"Will do." She smiles as she turns around to look at him, spreading her arms across the blanket. She was still wearing his clothes. "So what all do we need to cover?"

"Hmm," He grabs his backpack, and falls onto the bed next to her. "I have a paper for English, a chapter to go over in History, and a sheet of Calculus problems."

"Awesome." She sits up, rubbing her hands together excitedly.

"You're such a nerd." He laughs, knocking his shoulder against hers.

"Shut up." She rolls her eyes, smiling. "I am not."

"Talk nerdy to me, Lyd." He whispers in her ear, laughing.

"You're such a dork." She pushes him playfully, trying to hide a smile.

They sit with their backs against the headboard, shoulder to shoulder, arm to arm, leg to leg. They worked for hours; writing his paper, reading over the chapter, and groaning over Calculus. Lydia wouldn't give him the answers; she would only give him hints and try to teach him how to do it. That was still really helpful, believe it or not.

"Can we take a friggin' break now?" He whines, pushing his books to the end of his bed, and burying his face in his pillow.

"Yeah." She laughed, laying her head down on the pillow beside his.

"I'm starving." He complained, turning towards her. "Let's go get something to eat."

"We can," She said, smiling. He sat up, hopeful. "- _After_ we finish your homework. You can't reward yourself until you're finished - it never works any other way. Now you have incentive."

"God, I knew you'd say that." He groaned, rubbing his stomach. "I still need a five minute break, though. I might die if I have to look at another math problem right now."

"I have something that would help with your stress," She whispered, smiling innocently.

"Oh, I'm sure you do." He laughs, sighing dramatically.

"We should give each other hickeys." She sat up, rubbing her thumb over his neck like she was already about to start.

"What? Why would we do that?" He asks, trying not to let his internal panic show.

"We're going to school tomorrow. Our first day at school as a couple, remember? Don't you think it will add to the effect?" She smiles mischievously.

"I mean, yeah, I guess." He shrugs, trying to think of a way out of this mess he's somehow got himself into.

"Just relax, okay? Once we get a few noticeable ones, we'll be done." She laughed at his obvious nerves, and he smiled and nodded. She straddled his waist as he leaned his back against the headboard. It was too late to back out now.

"Yeah. It's all good. I'm good." He assured her, trying to keep himself composed.

"Great." She laughed. She pulled her hair back, and then groaned when she looked at her wrist. "I don't have a hair tie with me. You'll have to hold my hair back."

"Okay." He agreed, pushing a few strands away from her face, and then holding it all in the back. She looked beautiful as always, and his heart started to ache. As always.

"Ready for me to suck on your neck?" She grinned, and laughed lightly. He couldn't believe he was actually in this situation right now.

"Work your magic." He replied, licking his lips. She leaned in, and suddenly her mouth was on his neck. He breathed in, and tried not to think about what was happening right now.

He held her hair back as she sucked on a sensitive spot beneath his ear. He closed his eyes, and swallowed thickly. He tried not to make any noise, although it was very, very hard not to. She bit down onto his flesh, and it stung for a second, before she slid her tongue over the top to soothe it. She pulled away, and ran her thumb over the spot, admiring her work.

"It looks perfect." She breathed out, and looked in his eyes. "Did it feel good?" She smiled, still running her thumb against the sore spot.

"Is this...a trick question?" He asks, narrowing his eyes.

"Why would it be a trick question?" She laughs, showing genuine confusion.

"I mean...yeah, it felt good. I...guess." He admits, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You guess?" She smiles, scratching her fingers through his hair slowly.

"What..." He gulps, hoisting himself up slightly higher against the headboard. "What exactly is going on here?"

"It's just so satisfying to see you get turned on so easily. I could feel your pulse racing against my lips." She smiled in a sort of evil way. Or maybe that was just his imagination that made it up since she was teasing him so badly. "I really wasn't messing with you at first, but then I just saw how easy it would be and I...I just couldn't pass up the chance."

"I'm glad you're pleased with yourself," He shakes his head, and takes a breath.

"I am," She grinned, shrugging her shoulders. He wanted to get back at her, and he knew this was his chance.

"Where do you want yours?" He asked, flipping her around so she was laying on the bed, and he was on top. She raised an eyebrow, impressed with his sudden dominance.

"Your pick." She whispers, tilting her head to the side to give him more access. Her hair was fanned out across the pillow as she waited for him to make his move.

"I don't know if I can..." He gulps, glancing away from her eyes with sudden doubts.

"Come on. Show me the Stiles from the other day when we were playing the game before the party. You can't hide that side of yourself from me anymore; I've already seen it." She raises an eyebrow, and he blushes slightly.

"Here I go..." He sighs, mentally preparing himself. He tried not to think.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to her neck like she had done to him just minutes before. He ran his hands up her arms, linked their fingers together on both hands, and pinned them down to the bed. He squeezed her hands, as he moved his lips further and further down her neck. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as he settled on a spot just above her collarbone. He glanced up at her, and saw that her eyes were closed, and her lips were parted.

He leaned down again, more determined now than ever. He sucked on that one spot, and then gently bit into it. He quickly soothed it with his tongue like she had done to him. She whimpered quietly when he did that, but it was just loud enough for him to hear. He wanted to smile, because yes, he definitely won, but he couldn't make himself celebrate. Because Lydia, his Lydia, had just moaned, and it was because of him. He couldn't wrap his brain around that.

She blinked her eyes open, and looked at him. He forced a smile, and she laughed.

"How does it look?" She smiles, slowly unlacing their fingers. He noticed her breath was still heavy.

"Um," He shakes his head, pulling himself out of his trance. He looks at her neck as she sits up and pulls the collar from her shirt down. He notices the deep purple spot there, and he runs his thumb over it. "It's great."

"I want to see." She grins, using her hands to push herself off the bed. She walks towards the bathroom, but he grabs her wrist and pulls her back to him.

"I won." He smiles up at her, proud of himself.

"God, I let you win." She rolled her eyes, laughing as she linked their hands together.

"What? No you didn't! You're just a sore loser. Literally." He laughs, pointing to the hickey on her neck. She slaps his hand away, laughing.

"I'm not! I just know I could win if I wanted to." She shrugged, still smiling.

"I'm just saying, that _you_ were the one that was moaning, not me." He sighs as he stands up, and walks towards the bathroom. She turned him around, and pressed him against the wall.

"Come on, Stiles. _You_ got more turned on sucking on _my_ neck than I even did." She smirked up at him, pressing her finger into his chest. "And me moaning was just making it worse for you and I knew that."

"What? That's so made up!" He replies, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Why are you so defensive then?" She laughs, amused at his annoyance.

"Because it's not true!" He answers, completely fed up.

"Why do you even care so much? Mad that you can't get me turned on?" She crosses her arms, smiling smugly up at him. They stare at each other for a second, and he gulps. He wanted to show her that he really could turn her on if he wanted to - oh god, he wanted to - but he wouldn't. So he looked away.

"No! No, I'm not mad, it's just...you act like you're immune to everything or something." He pushes past her towards the bathroom again. And like always, she stops him.

"What are you saying?" She asks, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I'm _saying_ , that I think you act like you can't get your feelings hurt, or physically hurt, or even turned on. But all three of those things are easy to hide." He suddenly presses his fingers to the pulse on her neck. "Unless you know how to check for it. And your pulse is racing right now."

"God, Stiles, I'm angry is why it's racing!" She huffs, clenching her fists at her sides. "Unless you want to try the alternate way to see if I'm turned on."

"Stop with the jokes!" He groans, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You're one to talk!" She pushed his shoulder, laughing angrily. "You make jokes about everything!"

"It's a coping mechanism, Lydia! You're smart enough to know that!" He answers, swallowing thickly. He knew he had gotten too angry, and his nerves immediately calmed.

"Have you never thought that maybe that's why I do it too? You aren't the only one going through this, Stiles. I lost Alison. I lost Aiden." She looks in his eyes, trying not to cry. His heart was aching.

"I know-" He tries to say, putting his hand on her arm. She cuts him off, and pushes his hand away.

"No. You don't get to look at me like that." She glances down at his lips, and then back to his eyes.

"Like what?" He asks softly, and she pushes him again. And again. And again. And then she was crying.

"Stop! Stop pushing me." He grabs her hands, and she looks up at him with tears in her eyes.

 _He looked at her - his eyes full of sadness - and leaned down and kissed her. She stopped fighting the grip he had on her hands, and embraced it instead. She melted into him, and whimpered against his lips. Her hands gripped at his shirt and his skin, and they were both desperate to hold each other as close as they possibly could. It was want and need and everything in between, because they had been through so much, and they only had each other._

 _"I love you." She told him, with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you, Stiles."_

"Stiles, look at me." She said to him, making him blink and snap out of his daydream. She stood there, with his hands still gripping hers from when she pushed him. He hated his imagination sometimes. "I shouldn't have pushed you. I'm sorry."

"No, you were right. I was being a dick. It's just that...I want you to feel comfortable sharing your feelings with me. I know you don't like doing that with people, but you can't keep it all in forever. And we're so close, Lyd, especially lately." He sighs, running his fingers through her hair.

"Stiles, you don't understand," She laughs, shaking her head. His confusion was obvious on his face, until she explained. "I've never told anyone the things I've told you. I know it may not seem like I tell you much, but I do. For me, at least. I don't think I've ever been this close to someone."

"Really?" He half smiles, his palms sweating.

"Yeah." She laughs, nodding her head.

"I'm sorry for everything, Lyd." He pulled her into a hug, squeezing her shoulders tightly.

"I am too," She leaned back and looked at him, and then stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"Come on. Let's check these hickeys out." She wipes the remainder of her tears away and laughs, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the bathroom.


	21. Cliché Rom-Com

**To all of those who think Lydia really said 'I love you': I suggest you re-read the last chapter again before this one.**

* * *

"You did that?" He laughs, looking at the purple spot on his neck. She laughed too, and nodded.  
"It's great."

"You did a pretty good job too, I guess. For you, at least." She replies, knocking her shoulder against his with a grin on her face.

"Yeah right, you loved it." He laughed, liking the way it looked on him. "You know I haven't seen my dad all weekend. He still doesn't know about us dating. _Fake_ dating." He immediately corrected himself.

"Let's just tell him it's fake. It's no big deal. It's not like he has to be in on the joke or anything." She shrugs, turning around to look at him.

"Neither does the entire high school." He laughed, scratching his neck nervously.

"Yeah, but Scott, Kira, and Liam will be there. They can't see us just not looking in love all of the sudden; they'll know something's up." She tells him, biting the inside of her cheek. "You're nervous?"

He was going to lie and say no, but he knew that she can tell when he's lying, and it would just make it all worse.

"Yeah." He nods, embarrassed slightly.

"We can just stop this now, okay?" She whispers, putting her hand on his arm.

"No, we can't. God, Lyd, this is going to be horrible when we tell them." He sighs, shaking his head.

"I know." She turns away, and looks at the floor. "Let's tell them Friday, okay? By then they'll be used to us dating. They won't be as excited about it anymore. And we'll all be together so we won't have to tell them separately."

"Okay, that sounds good." He breathes in, nodding. "Five more days of us dating."

"They might get mad at first, but they'll be fine, Stiles. Don't worry about it, okay? Now let's finish that homework so we can go eat. I'm starving." She laughed, dragging him back to his bed.

They spent probably another half hour finishing it, and then they were racing out the door to go eat. It was almost nine when they finally got in his Jeep.

"I'm really craving some pasta." Stiles says, rubbing his stomach as they drive through town.

"Yeah, but we have to go inside somewhere for pasta." She whines, reaching over and holding his hand as she looked out the window.

"So?" He laughs, glancing over at her.

"I'm wearing pajamas. _We're_ wearing pajamas." She laughs, shaking her head. "We can't go in some fancy restaurant wearing this."

"Come on, Lyd, you need to loosen up some." He smiles, squeezing her hand. "It's not a big deal. It's late at night anyway."

"Fine." She groaned, biting her lip and trying not to smile. He had to immediately look away from her because he knew that if he kept watching that smile, he would wreck the Jeep in seconds.

They eventually decided on a restaurant, and walked in. Lydia buries her face in Stiles' shirt, and then looks up at him, laughing as they sit down in a booth.

"See? Not that bad." He laughs, knocking his foot against her leg under the table.

"I guess." She rolls her eyes, smiling. "The only thing that makes it better is that your clothes are comfy." She laughs, bringing the oversized sleeves to her mouth for warmth.

"Yeah, I'm getting those back by the way." He says, reaching over and tugging on her sleeve playfully. She swatted his hand away, laughing. He kept glancing back at the mark he left on her neck.

They ordered their drinks and food, and waited while it was being prepared. They had gotten two different pastas because neither could decide on one, so he got one with red sauce, she got one with white sauce, and they were going to share them.

"I'm so hungry." He complains, putting his forehead on the table.

"We ordered five minutes ago." She laughed, ruffling his hair. "You're so dramatic."

"I am glad you made me do my homework though." He looked up, propping his chin on his hand. "I'm the worst procrastinator - I would have waited until the last second."

"You still kind of did." She laughs, leaning down to the same level as him.

"No, I mean the very last second. Like in class." He smiles, and she shakes her head.

"Oh God." She groans, poking his arm. "Why have you never asked me to help you?"

"I don't know, Lyd." He admits, shrugging his shoulders. "I just figured you had better things to do, I guess."

"I want to help you." She crosses her arms, annoyed. He didn't exactly understand why.

"Okay. You can." He replies quietly, rubbing the back of his neck.

She didn't answer. About another five minutes went passed in silence, and he still couldn't figure out what had gone wrong.

"Are you...mad? About something?" He asks softly, trying not to make her any more angry.

"No!" She snapped, and then lowered her head, breathing out. "It's nothing. It's fine."

There was one point in his life where he would let it go, and let her anger go away on its own. But they were too close now for him to just sit there and let her be mad.

"Lyd. Come on." He pushes, reaching over to grab her hand. She pulls away, and his heart sinks.

Their food comes then, and she smiles and thanks the waiter, but Stiles can still tell she's angry. He twirls his fork around his pasta aimlessly, but he's too upset to eat.

"Why are you mad?" He half laughs, half sighs. "Did I do something wrong? You know how big of an idiot I am, Lyd, I didn't mean to."

"It's fine." She sighs, twirling her fork around her pasta too. "I'm just being dramatic."

"I really am sorry." He tells her, trying to look into her eyes. She wouldn't make eye contact with him, though.

"It's okay, Stiles." She replies softly. Instead of being angry, she was upset now. He just wanted to fix it.

"Still want to share?" He asks, sliding out of his side of the booth and into hers.

"Sure." She answered stiffly.

"Lyd, seriously! What happened?" He complains, putting his arms around her and burying his face in her neck. "Please."

"Just drop it." She sighs, hiding a smile.

"I didn't want to have to pull out the big guns," He shrugs, sitting up and looking at her. "But it looks like I might have to."

"What are the 'big guns'?" She asks, pushing her lips together so she doesn't laugh.

"If you cheer up some, then I'll...I'll dress up in my doctor costume again. Just for you." He shrugs, trying anything to get her to feel better.

"Really?" She laughs, finally _laughs_ this time.

"Really, really." He answers, sticking out his pinky. He knew he would regret this later, as she hooked her pinky onto his, making it official.

"Did you just quote Shrek?" She smiles her beautiful, radiant smile, and he thanks god that she's not mad or upset anymore.

"Yes. Now let's eat before my stomach starts gnawing on itself." He laughs, picking up a fork.

They have the plates side-by-side so that when they want some of the other kind, they just have to reach over for it. Then, of course, like every cliché Rom-Com, they eventually both start sucking on the same pasta noodle somehow.

They both smile at each other, trying not to laugh as they slowly get closer and closer. He glances down to her lips, not exactly sure what to do. Would it be weird if they kissed right now? He knew that she wouldn't think it was weird; just a friendly kiss, but it wasn't like that for him. Right as their lips were about to touch, the noodle broke in two. She laughed, pulling away.

"You were really gonna kiss me weren't you?" She smiles at him while she takes a sip of her drink.

"Nope. I was just going to see if _you_ were going to kiss _me_." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Good thing it broke then, huh?" She laughs, leaning down to eat again. He looks at her for a second, just watching. She looked out the window, staring at the cars passing by.

He didn't understand how he could still love her this much. He was just a stupid boy when he started liking her, and it was in such a different way than now. Neither of them were the same people they were when he fell for her, but somehow, for some reason, he loved her deeper than he ever has before.

"Are you ready?" She asks, turning towards him. He immediately whirls away, pretending like he hadn't been looking at her.

"Yeah. We need to-go boxes." He nods, and not long after, the waiter comes to give them their ticket and boxes.

They drive back to Stiles' house, and linger by her car. It was dark now, as she pressed her back against the driver's side door.

"I'll come pick you up for school tomorrow at 7:30." He tells her, shoving his hands down in his pockets.

"Okay. Don't be late." She smiles, looking up at him.

"I won't." He laughs, ruffling her hair. They sit there for a second in silence. It was kind of weird for them to say goodbye now, because they had spent their entire weekend together. He didn't want it to end.

"Bye, Stiles." She finally says, smiling.

"Bye, Lyd." He smiled back, and stood there for another second, before walking backwards to his house. "See you tomorrow."

"Can't wait." She laughs, and gets in her car. He walks inside, and as he closes the door, he hears her drive away.

It felt weird to be alone now. He could stop thinking about how empty he felt without her. He didn't have anyone to turn and whisper a joke to, or laugh with. He missed her.

Thoughts of the entire weekend - good and bad - raced through his mind. He smiled in the darkness like a complete idiot, because Lydia kissed him, and hugged him, and cuddled with him, and God, he loved her so much that he could barely breathe. He wondered if she was looking up at her ceiling, too, thinking the same thing about him.

He laid in bed, tossing and turning all night. It didn't take him long to realize the reason he couldn't fall asleep. She wasn't lying next to him.


	22. Nice Hickeys

He was already half awake when his alarm went off. He got up, took an extra long shower to pass the time, and then sat on the edge of his bed, tapping his foot against the floor. Even though he took a long shower, he still had five minutes before he had to leave. He kept getting up and looking at himself in the mirror, making sure he looked okay. He looked like he always did, really, other than the hickey, but every time he went back to the mirror, he would always find another flaw. Like part of his hair would be out of place, or his shirt would be wrinkled. Finally, deciding he couldn't fix it all, he left his house.

He knocked on Lydia's door twice, and by the third time, she opened it.

"Hi." He laughed, trying to hide his breathlessness. She was wearing a floral dress with tights underneath, a cardigan, and wedges. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which showed her hickey off.

"Hey, Stiles." She laughed too, turning around to lock her front door. They got in his Jeep, and he drove them to school.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Lydia asks, concern evident in her voice. "You look tired."

"No, I didn't get much." He admitted, keeping his eyes on the road. He tried to hurry and think of an excuse, but it felt impossible to think of anything besides her.

"Why? Couldn't fall asleep without me?" She whispered, laughing.

"Mhmm. _That's_ the reason." He laughs, playing it off as sarcasm even though that was actually the exact reason.

"So let's just act like a couple, but not tell anyone we actually are unless they ask. It'll look weird if we just go and tell everyone we're dating." She yawns, looking out the window. "Our hickeys are even more noticeable now than they were yesterday, so I'm sure everyone will quickly catch on."

"Sounds good." He nods, pulling into the parking lot.

He grabs his backpack, and they hold hands as they walk inside. His heart was racing and he could hear the blood pounding in his ears. People were staring at them. Lydia confidently walked past them like she hadn't even noticed anyone was watching. He suddenly wished that he didn't have that huge hickey on his neck.

She squeezed his hand and smiled at him, because she knew he needed it. He breathed in deeply, and they walked to her locker.

"It'll die down." She told him quietly, as she grabbed her books from her locker. He opened his mouth to say something, but the bell rang.

"See you later." She smiled, and kissed him. He was shocked for a second, but it didn't take him long to adjust. He held her waist, and kissed back. He felt eyes on him, but he tried as hard as he could to ignore them. He never thought he would ever be envied by every single teenage boy in his school, plus some girls, and it felt weird.

"Bye, Lyd." He waved after her, as she pulled away and walked to class. She smiled and waved at him, and then disappeared into a classroom. Most of the hall was cleared out, so he let his back slide down the lockers as he grinned dumbly and made a complete ass of himself.

Time, of course, went by slower than ever. She was tutoring during lunch, so he didn't get to see her at all. On top of that, he had been getting weird looks all day from practically everyone.

He was in his last class finally, tapping his pencil against the desk in anticipation. His stomach had butterflies from just the thought of seeing her again.

He packed his backpack up minutes before class ended, so when the bell finally rang, he was the first out of the classroom.

"Hi," He heard Lydia laugh, and he swirled around on the heels of his feet. There she was with her arms crossed, and her back against the wall beside the door of his classroom. He hadn't even noticed her. "Rushing to see me?"

"Oh, um," He scratched the back of his neck, laughing breathlessly. "I was just going to meet...Scott."

"Mhmm." She narrowed her eyes, laughing as she walked towards him. She grabbed his hand, kissed him, and then they walked to the doors.

"How did you get here so fast?" He asked, looking down at her. "The bell only just went off."

"I'm not actually required to be here any time after lunch. Well, not at all, actually, I just decided to do some extra classes for fun this year. A lot of my classes got exempt because I took extra ones in freshman year. I just sit in the library and read after lunch because I have nothing better to do." She shrugs, and like always, he can't help but smile at her. This time she sees, though.

"What?" She asks, cracking a smile too when she sees his. "What are you smiling at?"

"It's just...I don't know." He laughs, shaking his head and looking away.

"No! What were you going to say? You have to tell me now." She insists, the smile still wide on her face.

"Just...you. You're amazing." He blushes as he says it, and she pushes her lips together to hide a smile.

"Thanks." She stared into his eyes, and he had to look down at the pavement from embarrassment.

"Stiles!" They hear, and both turn to look. Kira walks up to them, breathless. "What are you guys doing today?"

"Um..." Lydia looks at Stiles, and then back to Kira. "I'm not really sure."

"Well it looks like you have it all to yourselves. Scott's dad is in town for the day and he wants to take me and Scott out to dinner." Stiles saw the look of slight annoyance on her face, and he knew that look all too well. Scott's dad brought that annoyance out of a lot of people.

"Wow. Well have fun with that!" Stiles laughs, patting her on the back.

"Shut up." She laughed, nudging his shoulder and rolling her eyes. "Scott went straight home so I'm about to go meet him. Go do something fun - go on a date or something. See you both tomorrow. Oh, and nice hickeys!"

"Bye, Kira." Stiles and Lydia said, laughing and waving to her as she made her way to her car.

"Scott's probably not too happy right now. His dad only shows up if he wants something." Stiles rolls his eyes, driving to Lydia's house.

"I know the feeling. I've definitely had my share of the whole 'deadbeat dads see-through apologies' thing." Lydia sighed, looking out the window. "It sucks."

"You have a good relationship with your mom, though, right?" He asks, glancing over at her.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. I don't get to see her much because she's really busy, but it's not like in the movies where she's all business, no kids. She just really has to work hard to pay the bills, and I understand. We're pretty close." She smiles, and then looks out the window.

"How about you and your dad? He wasn't home all weekend - is it always like that?" She asks softly, like she genuinely cared to know.

"Yeah, it is. Sometimes he's home, but he usually has to sleep if he is. It's kind of like with your mom - we've been struggling with, um, money, you know? He's just a really good guy, I know that. It's just hard only having one parent sometimes - especially if you rarely ever see them." He gulps, unsticking his sweaty hands from the steering wheel.

"I know what you mean." She breathes in, staring at the road too.

"Melissa...she's great. She's always taken care of me. She's kind of like a mother figure, you know? Which is awesome, because my dad is like a father figure to Scott." Stiles laughs, lightening the mood a little. Lydia smiles at that.

"I always thought your dad and Melissa had a thing. Do they?" She smiles, looking at him.

"No. Not yet, at least. I know they will, though, when the time is right. Me and Scott have been wanting it for years. We already consider ourselves brothers, really, but that would just make it official." He looks at her and laughs, and she just grins at him, listening intently.

"It's so funny how everyone can see that but them," She looks off like she's in another world, as they pull into her driveway. "Isn't it?"

"Where are you?" He asks quietly, not answering her question.

"I'm right here. What do you mean?" She asks, turning to look at him.

"Sometimes you go places in your head." He tells her, and then shakes his head. "I mean...I lose you sometimes. You were lost to me right then. Where do you go?"

"I...don't know." She shook her head, and turned to look out the window again.

"I wish I knew." He answers, but suddenly put a grin on his face, because wow, that sounded a lot more mushy than he thought it would. "Probably just thoughts of me naked, huh?"

"Oh, you're so right," She turns to him, and he immediately rolls his eyes, because he knows what comes next. "You're sweaty, writhing body on top of mine, just-"

"Okay, okay!" He laughs, trying not to think about that idea for too long. He did want this conversation to last as long as possible, though, because he didn't want to say goodbye. He didn't want to be alone again. "No need to get yourself worked up."

" _Me_ worked up? Stiles, I can practically _see_ the raging teenage boy hormones dripping off of you." She laughs, licking her lips. And yeah, she was probably right, because just seeing her do that made his head spin.

"Like you aren't just as bad." He retorted, even though he didn't even believe his own words.

"I'm not, actually. Feel free to test your theory out, though. I'll be happy to comply." She whispered sexily, and he literally wanted to die right then and there.

"I'm pretty sure your kink is to just see how turned on you can make someone else." He shook his head, breathing out. He really needed some fresh air, so he could get out of this hot, stuffy Jeep.

"So is this you admitting that I did turn you on?" She gives a smug smile, crossing her arms.

"Hmm, I don't remember saying that." He replies sarcastically, mirroring her gesture of crossing her arms.

"You practically did."

"'Practically' isn't 'actually'." He raises an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Oooh, it's sexy when you're witty." She bites her lip, running her eyes across him slowly.

"Glad you think I'm sexy."

"I...didn't say that."

"Yes, you actually did."

"Well, I guess you can be sexy at times. Mostly cute, though; sometimes hot." She admitted, and he tried to show no reaction even though he felt like bursting. She actually thought he was any of those?

"Come on, Lyd, that's such a lie. When have I actually ever been sexy? Or hot? Or even cute?" He rolled his eyes, laughing.

"Seriously? You really don't have enough confidence, Stiles. You really do look good. I'm not lying." She tells him, putting her hands up.

"I'm-I mean I just can't see myself that way, I guess." He shrugs, playing it off like it was nothing. She saw right through that, though, and looked down at her hands.

"It's hot in here." She stated, suddenly out of breath. He didn't even get to say bye before she shut the door of his Jeep. She was unlocking her front door, and he was about to cut his Jeep on and go home, but she turned to him.

"Stiles," She laughs, standing there looking at him with the open front door behind her. "Aren't you coming in?"


	23. Romance

"You were just going to leave? I didn't even tell you bye." She laughs, walking upstairs with him close behind her.

"I know, I know. I just figured, um, you know…" He starts to say, and then lets it trail off into nothing as they reach her room.

"You just figured...what?" She asks, pulling her hair out of it's ponytail, and brushing it out in the mirror. He leaned against the doorway and watched with fascination.

"I guess I was just worried that...you're tired of me? Maybe?" He glanced at her, and gulped. She sets her hairbrush on the counter, and turns to look at him. She's angry.

"God, Stiles, why don't you just leave then? If you think I hate you so much." She rolls her eyes, and throws a towel at him.

"I don't…I mean…" He swallows thickly, trying to think of what could've possibly happened. This was just like at the restaurant.

"No, you know what, Stiles? You can be really stupid sometimes for a smart person." She groans, and stalks off to her bathroom. He follows her, of course, internally panicking.

"What did I do? Can you just spell it out for me? I don't get it, Lyd, I really don't." He sighs, running his fingers through his hair with frustration.

"How can you be so friggin' clueless all the time?!" She turns around, clenching her fists angrily. She was fuming. He thought about how she had been pretty clueless herself for years, so he kind of deserved a few days of it.

"Just tell me! Because I'm obviously too big of an idiot to understand!" He puts his hands up dramatically, and she crosses her arms.

"I'm pissed off," She pushes her finger into his chest angrily. "Because I'm not tired of you! And I won't be any time soon!"

"What…?" He asks, completely confused now.

"Jesus Christ, Stiles, I'm sick of you always asking 'You aren't annoyed with me yet?' or 'You still want to spend time with me?' like you're freaking surprised or something. It makes me feel like...it makes me feel like you think we aren't even friends or something. But God, we are, Stiles, you're my best friend. I hate feeling like you don't think we're as close as we are. It drives me up the freakin' wall." She admits, her hands shaking as she sighs.

"Is that...why you were mad at me yesterday? At the restaurant?" He asks softly, feeling ashamed.

"Yes. Jesus, I was pissed at you. But you had to go and make me laugh, of course, when I wanted to stay mad at you." She smiles, but then quickly puts her angry face back on when she realizes.

"I wouldn't have said it if I had known." He sighs, his hands starting to sweat as they're shoved into the pocket of his khaki pants. "I just have this...fear, I guess, that no one wants to be around me sometimes. It's not you, I promise. It's the anxiety. It's hard sometimes."

"I know. I...knew you didn't do it on purpose, but I couldn't help but me upset, I guess. It was wrong of me, I know." She admits, looking down at the floor. "I just hate the thought of you going around and thinking that I don't care about you. I do."

"I care about you too." He let out a weak laugh, and she smiled.

"Good." She laughed, pushing his shoulder playfully. She looked at him for a second, and then shook her head, dropping all of her emotions like she always does. "Now let's go to a grocery store and pick out something we can cook. I'm getting hungry."

Twenty minutes later, he was pushing around a shopping cart in the food section of the nearest grocery store.

"What are we looking for exactly?" He asked, halting the cart as he watched her run her hands across the various cans of food.

"I don't know. What do you want?" She asks, turning to look at him. He kind of wished Scott and Kira were here right now, so he could wrap his arms around her and kiss her and 'pretend' like he was in love.

"I picked last night. Your turn." He smiled, and she thought for a second, before walking to a different aisle. He followed behind her, rolling on the cart.

"I choose takeout and ice cream." She says, handing him a tub of cookies and cream flavored. "Ditch the cart - let's go pick up some chinese. I don't feel like cooking anyway."

"Sounds great." He laughs, looking at the huge tub in his hands. She stopped her movements and looked at him, thinking.

"Wait, you don't like cookies and cream, right? What flavor do you like?" She asks, putting it back and looking for another kind. He was surprised she remembered that.

"No, no, just get whatever you want. It's fine." He replies, reaching for the handle of the freezer to grab it again. She pressed her back against it so he couldn't open it.

"No. I'm getting something we both like." She crossed her arms, being stubborn like always. "What do you want?"

"Lyd, I told you to get what you wanted." He whines, looking in her eyes. She didn't budge. "Please, Lyd-"

"Tell me what kind you want or I'm going to start moaning. Really loud - the whole store will hear." She demands, as serious as ever.

"Wait, what?" He stops, narrowing his eyes with complete confusion. "Wh-"

"Mmm," She moans loudly - as promised, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Oh my God, what the hell?!" He asks, ducking down slightly and looking left and right down the aisles to make sure no one had heard or seen that.

"Oh, God, that feels so good!" She moaned even louder, and he could feel his face turning bright red.

"Shut up, Lydia!" He whispered loudly, putting his hand over her mouth. He could see her smile, before she moaned again; despite the fact that her mouth was covered.

"Cookie dough." He finally said, breathing heavily from the major amount of stress she just put him through. She finally stopped making noise, and he took his hand off of her mouth, sighing. "I like cookie dough flavored."

"Cookie dough it is." She smiled as she turned around and opened the freezer, pulling out a tub of cookie dough ice cream. His mouth was wide open with disbelief.

"You are just - you're a freak, you know that?" He breathes out, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well it worked, didn't it?" She smiles proudly. His head was spinning.

He buys the ice cream while she calls the restaurant and orders their food. She slides her fingers between his as they meet up by the exit.

"What'd you order?" He asks, carrying the big tub of ice cream with his other hand.

"Sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, and egg rolls. I figured we could share like we did yesterday." She smiled up at him, and then looked ahead at the parking lot again.

"Sounds great." He smiles at her, even though she wasn't looking.

"Okay, so which movie?" Lydia asks twenty minutes later, setting the chinese food down on the coffee table in front of the couch. She set a variety of romance movies on the table in front of him as well. "You pick."

He skimmed across the names and covers, before settling on 'The Notebook'.

"Great choice," She grins, putting it into the DVD player. He made himself comfy on the couch with a big blanket, and then grabbed their food.

"I haven't seen it. It's like the most popular romance movie, I know, but I've never gotten around to it." He laughed, putting the other side of the blanket around her. She laid her head on his shoulder while they shared their food.

"It's so good. Sad, but good." She laughs, her eyes glued to the TV as she holds the chopsticks up to his mouth, waiting for him to take a bite.

By the time the movie had five minutes left, they were both crying hysterically and scooping huge chunks of ice cream out of the tub.

"You're crying!" Lydia turns to look at him, tears streaming down her face.

"So are you!" He replied, using the back of his hand to wipe the tears away.

"I know." She turned, and buried her face in a pillow.

"Why did you make me watch that? It's so depressing!" He groaned, dramatically falling on the floor.

"I didn't make you watch anything! You're the one who picked it!" She replies, sniffing and wiping her swollen eyes.

"God, I'm never watching it again." He sat up, and got a huge spoonful of ice cream and shoved it in his mouth.

"I've seen it like one hundred times." She laughs, taking a bite of the ice cream too.

"Why would you torture yourself like that?" He complains, knowing his nose is red and puffy.

"It's sad, yeah, but it's so good. It gives me hope that real love is out there like that." She sighed, and pushed her spoon in and out of the ice cream aimlessly. He gulped.

"I didn't know you were such a romantic." He smiled, and watched her. She looked at him and smiled back.

"Yeah, well don't tell anyone." She shakes her head, laughing as she threw a pillow at him. "And I know you are too, so it's even."

"How do you know that?" He asks, crossing his arms. It was true of course, embarrassingly true, but he wanted to know how she knew.

"Um, it's not hard to see, Stiles." She laughs, shaking her head and taking another bite of ice cream.

"Yeah, but how do you know?" He asks again, and she sighs and sets her spoon down.

"I don't know. The way you cuddle up to me and say sweet things. And how you always want to hold my hand. Also the fact that you just cried on the girliest chick flick ever." She laughs, and he blushes with embarrassment. "No, no!" She laughs again, and pulls his hands off of his face. "I like it. Most guys have to be macho men and never show any emotion so it doesn't damage their ego or something. I like how you aren't like that. It's...different."

He looked away from her, because he couldn't focus too long on the way she was looking at him. It hurt him so, so badly, making it where he could barely breathe.

"Well," He clears his throat, shaking his head. "I'm still not watching that ever again."

"Yeah," She looks down, smiling. "That's what I said the first time I watched it too."

"It's after one a.m. now on a school night. I should go." He stands up, and Lydia follows him as he goes and puts his spoon in the sink. "Will you be okay here alone?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine." She smiles weakly, as she runs her fingers along the edge of the counter.

"Are you sure?" He asks, sighing and looking at her.

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"See you in six hours." He smiles, and she whines pitifully.

"Let's skip tomorrow." She pleads, wrapping her arms around Stiles' waist.

"No way." He shakes his head, laughing. "I really need to go now, Lyd. The longer I stay the less time we have to sleep."

"I know." She sighs loudly.

"Bye. Make sure you lock the doors." He smiles down at her, and then kisses her forehead.

"I will. Bye." She replies, and he pulls away from her, and leaves. He sits in his Jeep for a few minutes catching his breath, and then he drives home, smiling the whole way.


	24. Bribery

"Lyd, open the door!" Stiles yells, gently banging his forehead against her front door repeatedly.

It had been absolute hell trying to get up this morning with only six hours of sleep. Not only that, but it was cold and overcast today like a storm was about to hit, which made it that much harder to get up. The only motivation he had was that he knew he would get to see Lydia, and that's what pulled him out of bed. Now he's been at her door for almost five minutes, and she hasn't answered.

"I'm coming in!" He finally said, lifting their door mat and getting the spare key. He unlocked the door, and headed upstairs. Lydia was still in bed, sound asleep. He pulled the blanket back, and her eyes were still shut, and her breathing was even. She was in his pajamas again, curled up and comfy. He smiled when he saw that. She must have washed his clothes, and then changed back into them after he left last night.

"Lyd." He whispered, poking her side. She sighed in her sleep, but didn't budge. He laughed, and crawled into bed next to her. He wrapped himself around her warm body, and she shifted.

"Stiles?" She whispered in a raspy morning voice, blinking her eyes open.

"It's time for school. You need to get up." He smiled, pushing the loose hair away from her face. "You should've been ready by now."

"I don't want to." She whined, nuzzling her face against his neck, and wrapping her legs around his. He wanted to stay like this forever.

"Neither do I. But we have to." He said, despite the fact that he let his eyes close.

"No we don't." She pulled back and looked at him, so he opened his eyes.

"Hi." He said with a smile, which was part of their unspoken routine when there was nothing else to say.

"Hi." She replied, rubbing her thumb across his lips.

"Get up." He whined, even though he didn't want to either.

"No." She replied, closing her eyes again. She pulled the blanket over their heads, and pressed her face against his chest sleepily.

"You're so cuddly when you're tired." He laughs, wrapping his arms and legs around her tightly; pulling her as close as he possibly could.

"You're so warm and soft. It's hard not to be cuddly." She admits, rubbing her nose against his chin. He smiled, and kissed her forehead.

"I'm not complaining." He yawns, and rubs his thumb across her back with gentleness.

"See? Romantic. I've never met a guy who likes to cuddle." She laughs drowsily. He was so tired and out of it, that he felt like saying something really, really stupid, like 'I love you'. But he would never be out of it enough for that.

"You're right." He opened his eyes, but hers were still closed, and she was smiling.

"I know." She smiles even bigger, her dimples showing.

"We need to get up." He told her again, slipping his cold fingers beneath the hem of her shirt and pressing them against her back.

"Stop!" She pushed his hand off, shivering. "Your hands are so friggin' cold."

"I know. That's why I put them on you."

"I know a way we can keep nice and warm." She bites her lip, shrugging.

"What is it?" He asks, and then sees the smile on her face and shakes his head. "Oh. Never mind."

She just laughed at that, and put her head against his chest again.

"It's fifteen minutes until first period starts." He sighs, running his fingers through her hair with admiration. It was almost painful how close they were now.

"See? I wouldn't get ready in time anyway." She replies, with fake sadness at the fact.

"Fine, we'll skip first. We're going to second though." He demands, and finally gets enough willpower to pull himself out of bed for the second time this morning. "Get up."

"No. We have at least half an hour before I have to get out of bed." She turns around, and closes her eyes.

"Lydia!" He whines, and pulls the blanket off of her.

"Stop! It's cold!" She looks at him like he had just yelled at a puppy.

"No. Not until you get up." He replies, crossing his arms with pretend sternness.

"Hmm, have fun holding the blanket up for thirty minutes." She sighs contently, and nuzzles her face against her pillow. He knew that if he didn't get her up now, they would end up missing second period, and third and fourth, too.

"Oh my God." He groaned, dropping the blanket and giving up. "If you get up now, we can go get a donut and a nice, hot coffee before school."

"Hmmm, tempting." She turned to look up at him, and then narrowed her eyes. "But a warm bed is better."

"What do you want then?" He falls onto the bed next to her, groaning in defeat. She laughs as she sits up and climbs on top of him. She's sitting on his stomach, smiling down at him.

"How about," She bites her lip, and trails her finger down his chest. "Bribery through sexual favors?"

"Well that," He flips her over so he's on top, and they're both smiling. "Would mean _I_ should be the one giving the sexual favors."

"Mmm, win me over." She chews on her lip, breathing out. He knew she was joking, of course, because so was he. But his heart was racing now, and the tension between them wasn't a joke at all. Could he play it off like it still was?

"Right away." He replied, swallowing thickly as he leaned down and pressed his lips against her jaw. She gasped with surprise, and instantly wrapped her arms around him. Her surprise stemmed from the fact that is the point where he usually gives up, and the joke is over. But he didn't want to be the one giving up first this time.

He kissed down her neck with agonizing slow-paced movements, and she let out a moan that stirred something in his stomach. He wasn't sure if it was real, or if this was like before when she only moaned because she knew what she was doing to him. He hoped it was real.

He kissed his way down to her collarbone, and he used two of his fingers to push the collar of her shirt down. Her shoulder is now exposed and there isn't a bra strap, so that must mean...she wasn't wearing a bra. That thought alone accelerated his pulse by at least twenty times. He kissed her shoulder one, two, three times, before pulling away. If this was just a game, he didn't want to be a player in it anymore. He wanted the real thing.

"Is that a good enough bribe for you?" He smiled, faking his happiness.

"You're a jerk." She laughed, throwing a pillow at him. She was wide awake now.

"Why? Because I really did turn you on this time?" He raises an eyebrow, smiling.

"No. Not a chance." She huffs, and stretches as she gets off the bed.

"Sure, Lyd." He rolls his eyes, yawning, as he watches her walk over to her dresser.

"I do have to admit that I'm pretty impressed. You usually give in way before that point." She turns her head and smiles at him, and then turns it back to rifle through her drawers.

"I have a question." He sits up, but she's still pulling clothes out of her dresser and closet.

"Go for it." She tells him, pulling black, lacy underwear from her top drawer. He averted his eyes to the wall and gulped.

"How...far would you let the joke actually go before you stopped me?" He asked seriously, and she stopped her movements for a second.

"I don't think I would stop you." She replied, and shut the drawer slowly. He wasn't sure how to react to that. "I can't give up, Stiles. You should know that by now."

"Your stubbornness will get you in so much trouble someday." He laughed awkwardly, and she turned around.

"I bet you wouldn't be complaining one bit about my stubbornness if I were on top of you." She looked at him with the most tension-filled glare he had ever seen. His mouth was dry as he gulped. He was sure that this is what dying felt like.

"God, Stiles, you really do fall for it every time." She shakes her head, laughing loudly. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"I - um, okay." He tells her, as she smiles and walks to the bathroom.

"You can join me if you want." She bites her lip, slowly pushing her shirt off of her shoulder exposing her skin. "I'm even willing to give a sneak preview."

"I already showered this morning, but thanks for the offer." He laughs and shakes his head, and she laughs too as she shuts the door.

"Your loss!" She tells him through the door, and then he hears the shower cut on.

He laid on her bed, and stared up at the ceiling. He thought about Scott, Kira, and Liam, and how he was lying to them. He was lying to Lydia, too, and he felt sick. Everything was perfect and falling apart at the same time. He had gotten himself into a horrible mess, and he had no idea how he was ever going to be able to fix it.


	25. Best Friend

"Lyd, what's taking so long?" Stiles sighs outside the door, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

They weren't even close to being late yet, but he was bored and he missed her already. "You can come in. I'm just about to do my makeup." She tells him, laughing. He hesitates a second, before turning the knob and walking into the bathroom. She was sitting cross-legged in a chair, looking in the mirror with only her bra and underwear on. She was sifting through her makeup bag with her damp hair pulled back.

"I didn't realize you weren't dressed." He turned away, trying to focus on breathing in and out.

"Stiles, come on. It's time to grow up." She shook her head with a laugh, but she was primarily focused on her makeup.

"I'm plenty grown up. I just want to be respectful." He turns around, and she briefly looks up at him.

"It's not even a big deal. At all." She smiles, and then turns back to what she was doing.

She was right, in a way; in the grand scheme of things - killing werewolves, getting possessed, dying and coming back - this really isn't anything. But it so is to him, and he can't shake that fact away.

"Fine." He huffs, laughing. He hoists himself onto her counter, as she looks into the mini vanity mirror next to him. She's using a small brush and putting powder on her face. "What's that?"

"Foundation. It's for evening skin tone and concealing blemishes." She glances at him for a second, and then looks back at the mirror.

"As if you have any to conceal." He laughs, watching her apply it to her face. She smiles at that, and shakes her head.

"Trust me, I do." She laughs, and grabs a small container with a pallette of colors.

"And that?" He asks, studying it.

"Eyeshadow."

"Okay, cool. I thought so, but I didn't want to sound like a dumbass." He laughs, watching her fingers gracefully brush the eyeshadow across her eyelids. It was mesmerizing.

"This," She says, pulling out a pink tube. "Is Mascara. Although I'm sure you know what that is already."

"Yeah." He laughs, watching her lean in closer to the mirror. She steadily applied it to her already-long eyelashes, lengthening them even more. She turned to him after she was done, and batted them flirtatiously at him.

"Looks great." He laughs, and she smiles and digs through her bag again. He watches as she pulls out a smaller, black tube, and rolled the bottom of it until a red stick appeared. It was lipstick. He stared at her lips as she rolled the bright shade along her bottom lip, and then rubbed them together so it applied it against the top one too.

"Lipstick." He stated confidently.

"Correct." She laughed, examining her lips in the mirror.

They spent a few more minutes in the bathroom as she fixed her hair, and then they moved to her bedroom again. He sat at the edge of the bed while she walked around her room in only her bra, underwear, and socks.

"I don't know what to wear." She sighs, searching through her closet.

"Go as is." He shrugs, smiling.

"I'm sure you would just love that, Stiles, wouldn't you?" She turns and laughs, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I would." He admits, want for intimacy suddenly washing over him. Not even sexual intimacy, really, he just wanted to hold her and kiss her and be able to tell her just how much he loves her.

"What, haven't lost your morning wood yet?" She laughs, furrowing her eyebrows. "You're extra frisky today."

"I'm just messing with you." He laughs, realizing what he had just said. It was really out of character for him and he didn't even know where it came from.

"Yeah, but would you?" She asks, biting her lip as she slowly moved towards him.

"Would I, um, what?" He gulps, and falls back against the bed as she gets on top of him.

"Would you love it if I went like this?" She asks, pressing his shoulders down against the bed. She leaned down so she could whisper in his ear. Her hot breath against his ear was about drive him past the point of insanity. "Or how about...naked?" She mutters into his ear, and then bites his earlobe.

"Hey, stop." He whispered to her in a really, really out-of-breath way which he didn't mean for. He set her down beside him on the bed.

"So what, then? You can tease me but I can't tease you?" She accuses, crossing her arms.

"It's different." He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. She was joking before, but now she was actually getting annoyed.

"Okay, well can you explain to me how it's 'different'? Because last time I checked, slowly kissing someone's neck is a lot worse than whispering in someone's ear." She shot back at him, obviously pissed off.

"Come on, Lydia, you know it's different! How can you even pretend like it's not?!" He stood up, and ran his fingers through his hair with frustration.

"How?! How is it any different?" She yelled now, standing up too.

"Jesus Christ, Lydia, look at you!" He turns to her, gulping. Her face softened some, but now she looked confused.

"What about me?" She asked quietly, and he looked away from her. She turned his face back to look at her, and he gulped.

"I...I wear the same khaki pants every day, and the same two plaid shirts. My hair is always messy and I know the reason why I'm not the most popular guy, okay? I'm not...great looking and I know that. But you…" He sighs, and looks at the floor. "You are so beautiful. Like insanely beautiful, okay? I can barely even look at myself in a mirror in the morning, and you are just...stunning. We're like not even the same species or something. So that's why it's different. It's completely different when you do it, so don't even pretend like you can't realize that."

She was completely silent for a moment, before she backed away from him.

"Shut up." She gritted her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes.

"What?" He whispers, seeing the anger on her face. His heart was pounding.

"Just go, Stiles." She cried as she walked to her closet and slipped on a dress. "Just go!"

"Lydia, please don't do this. It's fine. I shouldn't have said it." He pleaded, which made her bite her lip to hold back more tears.

"Will you please just go?!" She tried to sound angry, but it sounded more upset now.

She walked towards the bathroom, but he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Lydia-" He starts to say, but then she kisses him. Her hands are on his face and then in his hair, and none of this felt real. It wasn't for the fake dating charade and she wasn't drunk this time. She was just kissing him to kiss him, and he was having trouble processing it.

She pressed her hand to his chest, where his heart is. He didn't want her to feel his heart racing, he didn't want her to know that it was because of her, and how this is probably the best moment of his life, because he knew it would be over way too soon. He didn't want her to know how he felt about her.

"Don't ever say something like that again." She whispered against his lips, and they were both trying to catch their breaths. They both knew that there would be consequences to this, because this wasn't part of the plan. There were so many things wrong right now, but he couldn't think about them even if he wanted to, because he's way too happy.

"Don't you dare act like you're nothing. You're so important to me, Stiles. You're my best friend." She whispered, and that last comment wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but he still nodded and gave a weak smile. "I wish you didn't think that way about yourself."

He had no idea what this meant for them. She kissed him. He was pretty sure it was just a comforting thing, like 'hey, you aren't a piece of trash like you think you are, you're my friend', but he could never know unless he asked her. And he really, really didn't want to do that.

"I kinda wish I didn't either." He choked out a laugh, and she laid her head against his chest.

"I wish you could see yourself from our point of view. Scott, Kira, Liam, even. You wouldn't feel this way if you ever saw what we seen in you." She cried, and he held her.

"I'm fine, Lydia. It's okay, alright?" He sighed, closing his eyes. Now he felt bad for making her feel bad.

She nodded her head, and they sat there for another minute before she pulled away.

"How about we invite Liam, Kira, and Scott over to sit in the hot tub today after school? And then we can all cook something and play games." She looks up and smiles weakly at him, still sniffing.

"That sounds great." He smiles at her, and she and wipes her thumb across his lips.

"My lipstick looks great on you." She gives a real laugh, and wipes the rest off. He smiles, but looks away every time she glances at him. It felt weird to look in her eyes after that.

"Come on," He grabs her hand, and leads her to the door. "We'll be late for second period."


	26. Why Are You Blushing?

**I decided to update early again, don't be mad! I think you will all like the chapters coming up! (Especially 28!)**

* * *

They didn't talk about the kiss. In fact, it was like she was pretending it didn't happen. They didn't talk about it on the way to school, not during the five minutes they had during lunch, and not even when they starting making out against the side of Stiles' Jeep after school.

Stiles actually initiated the kiss this time. He had his back pressed against his Jeep as they were in the middle of a discussion about what their favorite fast food restaurant was. Lydia was deep in thought as she animatedly compared how many calories are in a small meal and how many are in the large, with a lot more passion than Stiles had ever seen someone have about junk food. He also didn't think anyone in history had ever been this cute talking about grease-covered burgers.

She was in the middle of ranting about how bad it is for cholesterol, when he spotted Scott and Kira push through the doors of the school. They hadn't seen Stiles and Lydia yet, but Stiles had asked them to meet at his Jeep after school, so he knew it wouldn't be long before they saw them. So he kissed her.

She was really surprised when he kissed her since she had been practically yelling about unhealthy foods when he did it. As if she hadn't eaten pounds of candy just days before.

His lips pressed against the corner of her mouth in a sort of awkward way at first, so she pulled away and looked at him, confused. She must have seen Scott and Kira approaching them in the reflection in the window, because she hesitated a second, before kissing him back. She gripped his collar in both of her hands, and tilted her head as she sighed against him.

"Hey guys." Kira laughed, walking up to them with her hand intertwined with Scott's. Lydia looked in Stiles' eyes as she pulled away, and then she smiled and wiped the lipstick residue off of him.

"Kira told me about you guys' hickeys but I didn't think they would be so noticeable." Scott laughs, and Stiles puts his arms around Lydia, and she sets her hands on top of his. "Has your dad seen it yet?"

"No. He doesn't even know me and Lyd are dating. I saw him last night for the first time since Friday morning but he had to go straight to bed." He sighed, and Lydia squeezed his hand for comfort. "Um, but he did say he would be off work tomorrow until seven so I figured we would go eat or something and I'd tell him then."

"Oh, that's great! He'll be super happy." Scott smiled, and Stiles nodded.

He was at the point where he couldn't even barely remember who he was lying to anymore, or why. He needed to sort it all out before he says something to someone who wasn't in on that particular lie. He hated doing this to anyone, but one lie led to another, and then that led to an even bigger one. He was scared that he would never get out of it. He had no one to talk about it with either, because usually Scott is that person, but in this case, he's the biggest victim of Stiles' lies.

"Yeah, he will." Stiles gulped, and buried his face against Lydia's neck.

He thought about everything that had happened the past few days. Lydia wanted to pull a prank on Scott, Kira, and Liam by telling them that they were dating, and then later tell them it was fake so that they would stop teasing them about it. Stiles didn't want to tell Lydia he really is in love with her, which was his only real excuse to say no, so he told her he would do it. Now they have to tell his dad. Scott and Kira thought they would tell them they were dating, but they're actually going to tell them they're fake dating so he'll go along with it. They're going to tell the pack on Friday, three days away, about how it was all a prank.

He could believe that just a week ago his life was about ten times simpler. He had really taken that for granted.

He came back to his senses to hear Lydia inviting them over to her house after school.

"I know it's too cold for the pool but I figured we could soak in the hot tub for a little while. And then we can go inside and make some food and play card games." She told them, and Stiles nudged her hair away from her neck and pressed his lips against it. She stuttered for a second before she composed herself, and kept on with the conversation.

"So Stiles and I will, um," She lost her breath as he kissed her shoulder. "Well we can go grab supplies for dinner and fire up the hot tub while you guys, uh, get Liam and grab some swim...stuff."

"This is gross, but yeah. We'll meet at your house in an hour." Scott tells her, and she licks her lips and gulps.

"Yeah." She nodded in a daze, as he kissed the top of her spine. "Is...spaghetti okay?"

"Yeah, that's great." Kira nodded, trying to ignore Stiles practically making out with Lydia's neck.

"You two better get all of this sexual frustration out of the way before we get there. Seriously, this is out of hand." Scott laughs, putting his arm around Kira's waist.

"We will. See ya." Lydia called after them as they walked away, her voice cracking slightly. Stiles smiled at that.

As soon as they were out of sight, Lydia turned around and pushed him against the car.

"You're such an ass!" She breathed out, and stomped around the Jeep to get to the passenger side. He got into the driver's side and looked at her. She just stared out the window and didn't look at him.

"Why am I an ass?" He tries to act serious, but he cracks a smile.

"Y-" She starts to rant as she turns around to face him, but then sees the smile on his face, and she smiles too, even though he could tell she wanted to be mad at him. "You just are. It was distracting."

"I could tell. You could barely get any words out." He smiled proudly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well it's pretty hard to focus on anything when there's someone hot attacking your neck." She huffs with annoyance and looks out the window again.

"You...think I'm hot?" He whispers, gulping.

"What?"

"You said I was hot. Just now."

"I don't think I said that." She quickly denies, shaking her head.

"No, you definitely did." He answered, and she turned to look at him.

"Fine, you're pretty good looking, okay? What's the big deal, anyway? You already knew that I thought that." She shrugs her shoulders, blushing slightly.

"Then why are you blushing?" He smiles, and she puts her face in her hands to hide her embarrassment. He laughs and pulls her hands from her face, looking at her.

"This is ridiculous Stiles." She bit her lip, not being able to make eye contact. "What kind of world do we live in if we can't even recognize if our best friend is hot or not? It's not even a big deal."

"It's not a big deal, no, but it's just funny that you're blushing. It's a rare sight to see from you." He smiles smugly, and she blushes even harder.

"Shut up." She groans, pushing her lips together. He laughed, and put the key in the ignition, dropping the topic. But she apparently wasn't through with it. "What do you think about me, then? Friend to friend."

"You know what I think of you, Lydia." He feels his face heating up, and he suddenly regrets embarrassing her.

"No I don't. Not really." She crosses her arms with a smile, knowing it was her turn to have fun with this.

"You're...beautiful. Really beautiful." He nods, and glances at her. Without warning, she latched her teeth onto his earlobe.

"Whoa," He adjusted in his seat, gulping.

"What about hot?" She asked, breathing warm breath against his ear, making him close his eyes and swallow thickly. She kissed down his neck slowly, and he realized why she must have been so distracted earlier. "Or sexy?"

"Yeah. Yeah, both," He answered, but his mind was too foggy to form a logical thought on why this wasn't a great idea.

"Say it." She whispered against his neck, her hot breath sending chills across his body. He felt like he was in another world right now.

"I, um," He muttered, trying to focus on something, anything. She tilted his chin and started kissing down the other side of his neck. She ran her hand down his chest, and slid it underneath his shirt.

"Just say it, Stiles," She said quietly, with her hands pressed flat against his chest.

What did she want him to say again? He couldn't remember as hard as he tried to.

"You're beautiful." He told her, sighing.

Suddenly all of her movements stopped, making him blink his eyes open.

"Do you think I just felt you up and licked you like friggin' ice cream so I could be called beautiful?" She laughed, and then lowered the ceiling mirror down so she could fix her lipstick in it.

"You don't like being called beautiful?" He gulps, still out of breath. They had to stop doing this to each other.

"I mean, yeah, I guess." She looks over at him and shrugs, and then looks back in the mirror. "But isn't it more...I don't know, exciting, I guess, to be called sexy or hot?"

"I don't know, Lyd." He sighed, and cranked the Jeep. "Did you really just do that so I would call you sexy?"

"Maybe," She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "I can usually get guys to say anything I want them to when I pull that move."

"Well you are. Sexy, I mean." He felt a blush creep up his neck and onto his face when he said it.

"You think so?" She smiled, and he nodded.

"Yeah, of course." He laughed, staring at her lips.

He couldn't stop thinking about the kiss they had at her house that morning. He wondered what she thought about it, and why she did it. It kept swirling around in his mind, and he couldn't forget about it. It was so much different than them making out in front of Scott and Kira. It was so much more intimate, and they weren't doing it for a show. It scared him.

"You can be sexy too. I'll be honest, I didn't think you had it in you, Stiles, but you do. Man, was I wrong." She shook her head, putting her makeup bag away.

"What?" He blushes again, laughing. "How?"

"The way you kiss me sometimes...I don't know." She looked in his eyes, and then turned away. "Oh, and the way you kiss my neck. Especially today, when they were watching. Whoever you date is going to be really thankful for me teaching you all of this."

"Thanks." He let out a laugh, but then had to clear his throat. He felt sick now at the thought of dating someone else, and the fact that she wanted him to. It's not like they were really dating, though. He kept having to remind himself of that.

"We should go now if we want to be on time." She smiled, and nudged his shoulder.

"Yeah, let's go. You said spaghetti, right?"


	27. You Look Great

"They should be here any second," Lydia sighs, tossing her keys on the counter as Stiles sets the grocery bags down next to them. "You put away the groceries and I'll go get the hot tub going."

"Okay." He smiled, and kissed her forehead. She walked out the backdoor, so he started unloading the cans of tomato sauce, cheese, and pasta onto the kitchen counter. He threw away the bags, and leaned against the counter, tapping his foot against the floor. As embarrassing as it was, he was nervous to see Lydia again. Even when they were separated for less than five minutes.

She walked in, and made her way to the staircase.

"I'm gonna go get dressed. Did you bring swim shorts…?" She questioned, stopping halfway up the stairs.

"I text Scott when we were at the grocery store. He's gonna bring me a pair of his for me to use." He tells her, and she nods, and goes upstairs. Only seconds after she shuts her bedroom door, the front door opens, and Kira, Scott, and Liam walk in. Scott and Liam were shirtless, and Kira was in a bikini. They all said their hello's, and Liam yawned.

"Here you go." Scott tosses a pair of black swim shorts at Stiles.

"Thanks." He replies.

"God, it'll be nice when we're in the hot tub, but I'm freezing right now." Kira huddled up to Scott, her teeth chattering.

"I'm gonna go get changed really quick." Stiles laughed, feeling chilly himself.

He walked upstairs, and went into the bathroom. He stripped down to nothing, and slipped on the swim trunks Scott had just given him. He looked at himself in the mirror, and breathed in as deeply as he could. The purple marks on his neck had faded some now, but they were still pretty noticeable.

"You look fine. You can do this." He gulped, and nodded at himself. He couldn't even convince himself he was okay.

He wasn't muscley or perfect-looking like Scott or even Liam, and he wished that he could just forget about that for a night. But he couldn't, and he knew that it was going to eat at him. Even when he's having fun, he knew that it would still be in the back of his mind, holding him back from having fun.

The longer that he looked at himself, the worse he felt. He never remembered feeling this horrible about himself before all of the supernatural things started to happen, but he's felt different since the Nogitsune possessed him. He was filled with so much hatred and anger, and he had decided that this self-loathing is stemmed from all of the horrible things he did in that time. He knew it wasn't all him, of course, but he remembered it, and he could never unsee what he had done to everyone around him. He sickened himself.

The truth is, he didn't want to go outside right now. He didn't want anyone to see him shirtless, and he definitely didn't want to sit in a steaming-hot jacuzzi with a half-naked Lydia making out with him. He knew that this entire plan was trouble waiting to happen.

Suddenly Lydia burst through the door, and Stiles stammered back, grabbing onto a towel so he wouldn't fall.

"Lydia, what -" He stops, completely out of breath from surprise. "You scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't even know you were in here." She laughed, helping him up. He noticed her scan her eyes across his chest, and lower, and lower-

"Um, I think they're waiting for us." Stiles interrupts her long, uncomfortable gaze, making her eyes snap back up to meet his. He walks towards the door, but she gets there first.

"Wait a second." She stops him, and leans her back against the closed door so he couldn't get passed just yet.

She was wearing her tiny black bikini that he couldn't stop staring at. His head was spinning so quickly that he was sure he would pass out in minutes.

"What is it?" He asks, self consciously crossing his arms over his chest.

She bit her lip and gulped as her eyes skimmed across his body again. He couldn't read her face and tell if her reaction to it was good or bad, so that gave him even more anxiety.

"Just...I don't think I've ever seen you without a shirt on." She finally looks in his eyes, and he felt like shrinking away.

"You did. On Saturday night."

"Sober, I meant." She laughs, reaching up to pull her hair back. Her chest was right there in front of him, and he tried as hard as he could not to look, but it didn't work.

"My eyes..." Lydia whispered, tilting his chin up. "Are up here."

"Oh, I'm-" He stutters, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...you know."

"Check me out?" She crosses her arms, and tilts her head as she looks up at him.

"I, um," He gulps, scratching the back of his neck. He noticed the smirk on her face, and he sighs. "You just love trapping me, don't you?"

"Yeah. It's really fun, actually." She laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"You are so horrible to me sometimes." He shook his head, trying to pass her and open up the door again.

"I am? Well then maybe you should punish me. I promise I'll try not to scream." She put the tip of her finger in her mouth, playing innocent.

"Lydia, God, what do you get out of this? Is this some kind twisted kink you have? Turning people on at inconvenient times is what really gets you off, isn't it?" He breathes out, propping his hand on the door beside her head.

"Finally admit you're turned on?" She whispers, her breathing heavy as she looks in his eyes. He looked down at her lips, and oh _God_ , he wanted to kiss them. He wanted to tangle his fingers in her hair and get completely lost in her.

"How long does it freakin' take to change your shorts?" Scott suddenly bangs on the door, startling them both. They looked at each other, gulping, and then Stiles opened the door. Scott noticed Lydia, and rolled his eyes.

"Oh. That's why." He shook his head, smiling. "Let's go get in the hot tub. We're freezing."

"Yeah. Right behind you." Stiles laughed, and grabbed Lydia's hand. They went downstairs, and Lydia wrapped her arms around Stiles' bare waist. Lydia and Kira talked about how cute each others outfits were, while Scott, Liam, and Stiles talked about Lacrosse practice on Thursday.

"Have you been working out for it? I guess I could never tell you actually had muscles under those shirts you wear." Liam joked, and Lydia kissed Stiles' side, where his ribs are.

"Isn't he hot?" Lydia smiles up at him, like he's the only thing in the world. It made his stomach turn.

"Stop, Lyd." Stiles shook his head, trying not to blush.

"She's right, Stiles. You look great." Scott shrugged, and Kira and Liam agreed.

"Thanks." He looks at the floor, and holds Lydia tighter. He hated that all of the focus is on him.

"Come on. I'm about to freeze to death." Lydia shivers, and guides them all outside. He didn't know how she did it, but it was like she knew exactly when his anxiety hit, and she always saved him from it.


	28. Hot Tub

**I feel bad that everyone thought I meant this was going to be a really important chapter. I just meant that it was one I really liked! Anyway, I really hope that I don't let anyone down with it :(**

* * *

"Ahh, this is nice," Liam sighs, being the first one in the hot tub. Lydia dipped her foot in and practically moaned. A few seconds later, they were all in. Their heads were laid back against the edges as they relaxed.

"What game are we going to play after dinner?" Scott asked, breaking the silence. The only other sound was the jets forming the bubbles that vibrated against their backs.

Lydia huddled up against Stiles' side, and laid her head on his chest. He kept his eyes shut, and his head laid back. This was probably the only real moment in the past week that he actually felt relaxed.

"I have some regular playing cards, so I figured we could play poker? Or anything you guys want, I don't really mind." She shrugged her shoulders, gently rubbing her fingers against Stiles' back. Usually that would make him tense up, but right now it just calmed him even more. He inhaled the crisp fall air, and his muscles loosened up as he soaked in the hot water.

"That sounds great." Kira sighed, sounding like she was in a blissful state too.

"Hey," Lydia whispered, straddling his hips. He opened his eyes, and she looked like an angel as she stared down at him. Her dimples were showing with her smile, and she rubbed her thumb across his cheek.

"Hi." He replied, unable to do anything but smile back. As much as he hated this, he really kind of loved it too.

They looked in each other's eyes, making his heartbeat quicken like it always did. What made his heart race even more, is when she glanced down at his lips and sucked in a breath.

She tangled their fingers together, looked back up to his eyes, and then back down to his mouth again. Soon after that, she leaned down and kissed him. It was slow and sensual, and their lips moved perfectly against each other's. He used his free hand to slide up the soft, hot skin of her bare back, and then to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Their lips parted in a desperate but steady pace, and then they were french-kissing. He was getting more and more turned on, but he couldn't find the will to stop himself.

Lydia moaned against his mouth, which only made his situation about ten times worse. He hoped that the jets muffled the sound of her moan enough so that they hadn't heard it.

He couldn't catch his breath because of the stuffy steam coming from the hot tub, and also because they were full-on making out now. He could tell Lydia's breath was heavy too.

They were making out, yeah, but it was still slow and sweet and neither could get close enough to be satisfied. It was strange, too, because none of the others were even looking at them. It was like they were doing it for the show, but they both knew that no one was watching. He knew it, at least. Maybe Lydia just assumed they were watching and that's why she did this.

She moved her body slightly, but that was enough to make him have to shift uncomfortably. She was on his lap, more than half naked and making out with him. There was no positive outcome to this, and he knew it.

"Is that…?" Lydia pulled away, breathless but smiling slightly. She looked down at his crotch, and then back up at him. She could feel it on her leg.

"Yeah, I, um…" He gulped, looking directly in her eyes so he wouldn't look down. He focused on her eyes only, trying not to think about how her skin is sweaty, her bikini is soaking wet now and mostly see-through, and she's on top of him, and- "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." She laughs awkwardly, shaking her head and covering her face with her hands. Lydia was embarrassed. She adjusted her bikini top, and he had to actually turn away and bite his lip really, really hard so he wouldn't pass out right there in front of everyone. Is it even possible to pass out from being too turned on? He wasn't sure, but he was pretty positive that if he even had to look at her one more time, he would lose consciousness whether it's possible or not.

Liam, Scott, and Kira were all talking and laughing, completely oblivious to what was going on just a few feet away from them. Ignorance really is bliss in this case.

"What can I do to, um...help?" She laughed awkwardly again, and somehow, even that made it worse. She was sitting beside him, with her elbow touching his.

"I'm not trying to be mean or anything but...can you just…not touch me?" He asks quietly, and she nods and moves a few inches away until their skin wasn't in contact anymore. "Um, and also just...actually don't even look at me. Please."

"Very funny," She laughed, shaking her head. Then she saw the look on his face, and cleared her throat. "Oh. I guess I thought you were kidding."

"No, it's okay, that was stupid to ask. I'll just…" He looks around the hot tub, and notices five towels stacked on top of eachother. "I'm gonna go-" He starts to say, and she nods in understanding, pushing her lips together in an attempt to suppress a smile. Nothing about this was amusing to him.

He stands up and gets out of the hot tub, quickly grabbing a towel and holding it over his crotch. It was cold outside, yeah, but his insides were still burning.

"Stiles, you're getting out already? We still have probably five more minutes left that we can stay in." Kira questioned, which made Liam and Scott's attention go to him too. Lydia put her face in her hands.

"Oh yeah, I know," He told them, his voice at a much higher pitch than normal. He cleared his throat, and started walking backwards, thinking that maybe, hopefully, this would be a lot less obvious if he wasn't so close to them. "I just figured I would get a headstart on the bathroom before anyone. I thought I'd maybe start on the spaghetti too."

"Oh, okay." Kira nodded, looking slightly confused. He held onto that towel for dear life, knowing he would probably never recover from the lifetime of embarrassment that would come with dropping it.

"Who wants mushrooms on theirs?" He asked, still awkwardly walking backwards to escape. Liam raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Doesn't matter. You guys will be in soon anyway, right?"

"Stiles!" Lydia gasps, right as he had been about to turn around and walk to the house. He saw the panicked look on her face, quickly followed by matching ones on Kira, Scott, and Liam's faces too. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but then he lost his balance, and fell backwards. He immediately started rapidly waving his arms to try and catch his balance, but it was no use, because there was no ground beneath him. Only water.

He fell backwards into the ice-cold pool. As soon as the water made contact with his skin, it felt like millions of needles were continuously stabbing into him. It felt like years, but he knew it must have only been seconds before Scott pulled him out of the water, and set him onto the concrete beside the pool where he coughed a few times.

His vision was blurry, and he couldn't feel his body. Then suddenly there was Lydia in front of him, holding his hands with tears in her eyes.

"Stiles," She gulped, and ran her fingers across his purple lips. Scott, Kira, and Liam were frantically buzzing around him, panicked, but he could only focus on her. Her voice sounded like a distant echo, but he kept his eyes on her. Not only had the water slowed his physical movements, but his brain felt groggy too. "Are you okay?"

"Well that's a great boner-killer, huh?" He laughs, his teeth chattering along with the shake of his body.

"What?" Scott asked, confused.

"You are so stupid, Stiles." Lydia half-laughed, half-cried as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. She was so warm that he never wanted to let go.

She pulled away to look at him, look deeply in his eyes, and then she kissed him. She held his face in her hands, and held onto him like the world was ending. This was a 'thank god you're alive, you idiot' kiss.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She sighed as she looked in his eyes, and then hugged him again.

"Come on, Lydia," Scott patted her back gently. "He needs to go inside and get in a warm blanket.

"Okay." She nodded, licking her lips. She got up, and her and Scott held onto him as they walked inside. He could still barely feel his body.

"Lyd, you go help him get dressed and we'll get him some hot chocolate." Kira said softly, as always. Her and Liam both gave him a sad look.

"Sounds good." Lydia replied, and Stiles immediately starting sweating at the thought of what would happen next. Kira thought they were really dating, which means she also thinks that they've seen each other naked before and this wouldn't be a problem. But this was all fake, and she didn't know that, but that still didn't change the fact that Lydia was about to help him get dressed. He didn't want her to seem him naked at all, but especially not when he's...cold.

They got in the bathroom, and Lydia immediately started trying to pull his shorts off.

"Whoa!" He halted her, and almost fell backwards with how quickly he moved out of her reach.

"What, Stiles?" She sighed, annoyed.

"I can do this, okay? I'm not paralyzed." He gulps, and if he hadn't just almost frozen to death, he'd be blushing right now.

"You can barely move. Just let me help." She insisted, looking in his eyes.

"No way. Thanks for offering but I'm okay, alright? Seriously." He laughs and grabs her shoulders, reassuring her. She winced at the touch of his freezing hands.

"Fine." She crossed her arms, and waited impatiently.

"I'm not doing this right in front of you either! Will you just turn around or something?" He asked anxiously, and she nodded and rolled her eyes.

When she finally did turn to face the door, he hesitated a second, before pulling his shorts off. He almost fell over trying to get the wet material to stop clinging uncomfortably to his skin, but eventually he finished, and pulled his boxers on. He was in the process of pulling the strings on his sweatpants when she turned around again.

"I'm so sorry about that. It was...kinda my fault that you fell in the pool." She looked at the floor, sighing.

"What? No it wasn't." He tries to laugh, but his chattering teeth overpower that attempt.

"If I wasn't on top of you making out, you wouldn't have had to cover yourself with a towel or walk backwards. Which means you wouldn't have fallen in the pool. I shouldn't have put you in that situation." She crosses her arms, looking up at him.

"I didn't stop you, Lydia." Was all he replied, and she fell silent.

He didn't really think about that before he said it. It was true; he didn't stop her. But something about saying that out loud felt out of place. They weren't supposed to want to make out with each other, they just 'had to' for the prank. He really did want to, of course, but even though he didn't outright say he wanted to, something about what he just said made it a lot more obvious.

"I can't believe you got a hard-on for me." She smirked, and crossed her arms. He wasn't recovered enough yet to deal with her jokes, and he was still tremendously humiliated. He knew that he probably would be for the rest of eternity.

"Can we please just forget about all of it? For my sanity's sake." He laughed embarrassedly, and she helped him tug his shirt on over his head.

"Maybe I don't want to forget." She bit her lip, and looked in his eyes as she slid her hand down his chest, and stopped at the waistband of his sweatpants. He couldn't breathe. "Maybe I can't."

"Lydia." He sighed, crossing his arms.

"Okay, fine." She laughed as she dropped her hand, and shook her head. "It's forgotten."

"Great. I'm ready for that hot chocolate now." He told her, changing the subject. She smiled and put her arm around him, and he was still shivering still as they went downstairs.

The first thing he noticed was Scott and Liam laying on the couch with a blanket.

"What's...going on here?" Stiles questioned, hesitant to know the answer.

"You have to come cuddle with us to keep warm. We're the wolves, so we can do the best job of it." Scott smiled, patting the couch beside him. Liam looked like he would rather die, but Stiles was sure that Scott had convinced him to help.

"This will be interesting." He sighed, but he knew he desperately needed the warmth. Lydia laughed, and went back upstairs to get dressed, as Stiles sandwiched himself between Liam and Scott.


	29. Cuddling

"This is pretty uncomfortable," Scott admitted, unable to move his body more than an inch. Scott was directly in front of Stiles, and Liam was behind him.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Stiles complained, pressing his freezing-cold hands against Scott's back.

"Only because there's no room. I love cuddling with you otherwise." Scott replied, and Stiles could hear the smile in his voice.

"Aw, bro, I love cuddling with you too." Stiles grinned, and Liam groaned.

"How long do we have to do this?" Liam grumbled, loosening his grip around Stiles' waist.

"Getting a little too excited being pressed up against me, huh, Liam?" Stiles accused, laughing.

"You caught me." Liam replied flatly, and pinched Stiles' stomach.

"Jesus, Liam!" Stiles slapped his hand away, whining pitifully.

"Boys, stop fighting," Lydia sighed, setting her hands on her hips. They all turned to look at her, Stiles and Liam bumping heads in the process.

"Lydia can you come cuddle with me instead? Liam has a hard-on for me." Stiles stuck his bottom lip out, but Lydia just laughed.

"Nah, I'm actually kind of enjoying this. Why don't you kiss each other?" Lydia pointed her sauce-covered spoon between all of them, and Liam couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay, that's not happening. Not with Stiles, at least." He crossed his arms, and took refuge with Kira who's just now walking in.

"Who's kissing each other?" Kira asked, looking around the room.

"No one yet. Wouldn't it be hot if they did though?" Lydia smiled, and pointed her spoon at Scott and Stiles again.

"Oh, yeah. Let me grab some popcorn really quick." Kira joked, and Stiles sat up.

"Look, we're not gonna play along with you guys' weird fetishes, okay? And if I'm being honest, it's leaning a little towards the homophobic side." Stiles admitted, shrugging his shoulders. He got up, and walked towards Lydia.

"Oh? So you wouldn't want to see Kira and I makeout then, right?" She questioned, blinking innocently at him.

"Okay, now that's lesbian-phobic." He told her, and she sighed.

"I know, I read all about that. I was seeing if you'd go along with it so I could catch you." She rolled her eyes, sighing.

"Good. And besides, I don't want you kissing anyone but me." He smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. They all groaned, as she grinned and pulled him down to kiss her. They fell back on the chair, and he wrapped his arms completely around her waist, holding her tight.

"I'm kind of ready for this 'lovey-dovey' phase to be over." Scott laughed, shaking his head. Liam agreed, and if Stiles wasn't in the middle of kissing Lydia, he would have glared at him.

"It's time for dinner. The spaghetti just finished a minute ago." Kira announced, and he heard them all get up.

"We'll be there in a second," Stiles pulled away to tell Scott, and Lydia just kissed his neck in the meantime. He didn't even get to see Scott's reaction, because as soon as he was finished talking, Lydia pulled his face back to hers and kissed him again.

"You're so good at this," Lydia whispered, gasping for air and smiling as she pulled away when Scott left.

"Thanks. You are too." He replied, knowing he was dangerously close to getting a boner again. He felt horrible about it too, but he couldn't help it. She was under him with her body wrapped around him, kissing him, and he was a teenage boy with raging hormones. It seemed like the harder he tried to get rid of it, the worse it got.

"Let's wait a second before we go." She tells him, and he internally groans. He didn't know how much longer he could do this without her noticing something was up. Literally.

"Stiles." She lets out a long sigh, and shuts her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it." He gulps, and moves to the opposite end of the couch, covering himself with a pillow.

"It's fine, I just...How do you have another boner already?" She sits up, and he can tell she's not wearing a bra because her nipples are showing through her shirt. He looks away, and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"I didn't ever get rid of the one earlier, it just...went away. So now it's a lot easier for me to, you know, get another one." He admits, blushing. "And making out on top of someone is a really, really easy way to make that happen."

"Maybe you should go get rid of it." She told him, shrugging her shoulders. He glanced at her, and he could feel his face burning. "You know, like get yourself o-" She starts to say, but he interrupts, laughing awkwardly.

"Yeah, I got what you meant." He gulps, and rubs the back of his neck. "Can you just tell them that I had to pee or something? Please?"

"Of course." She laughed, awkwardly standing up.

"Okay. I'll be right back." He stood up too, and kept the pillow against him. They both looked at each other for a second, and then parted ways in the most awkward way possible.

After she disappeared into the kitchen, he practically ran upstairs and shut the door of the bathroom to finally relieve himself. It took two times for him to be able to even think straight again.

"Already?" Lydia whispered to him as he sat down next to her.

"I was pretty much already about to...you know...when you walked out, so it didn't take much effort at all." He whispered back, embarrassed once again.

"Aw, what are you two blushing about?" Scott pried, smiling at them. Stiles shoved spaghetti in his face to avoid answering that.

"Stiles was just telling me how much he loves me." Lydia smiles, and Stiles discreetly chokes on a noodle. "Weren't you, babe?"

"Oh yeah." He composes himself, swallowing down his food. "I...love her more than anything."

"As if we didn't know that." Kira laughs, and Scott is just smiling at them. Even Liam had a small smile on his face, too.

"Come here." Lydia smiles, and kisses him deeply. He had never told her that before. As nerve-wracking as it was to say that to her face, it also felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, even though she thought it was fake.

"I love you too, Stiles." She smiled, and ran her thumb over his lips. He felt sick to his stomach suddenly, like he might puke up all of that spaghetti he had just eaten.

They all finished eating with no sudden vomiting accidents, even though Stiles really thought there would be one. They all cleaned the kitchen up, each having their own chore. Stiles' was washing dishes, and Scott's was drying them.

"I've never seen you so happy, Stiles. You guys' relationship doesn't just affect you two, it also affects us. We're all so, so happy for you both. Things look like they're really turning around for us, huh?" He nudged Stiles' shoulder and laughed. "If our freshmen selves could see us now, they would be really proud."

"Yeah. You're right." Stiles smiles, and hands him a plate he can rinse off.

"You're going out with Lydia, Stiles. Lydia. The girl you've been in love with for nine years. I always believed it would happen, but wow, it's just...still so great." He smiled, and Stiles swallowed thickly and nodded.

"I know. I can't...I can't believe it. I'm so in love with her, Scott. It drives me crazy." He admitted, just staring down at the plate he was washing. Scott patted his back, and Stiles sighed deeply.

"I know. I really do." Scott told him encouragingly. Stiles looked at him, and really, really considered telling him the truth. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Stiles shook it off, faking a laugh. Scott knew something was up, but he didn't push any further.

"Hey. Almost through?" Lydia asks, wrapping her arms around Stiles from behind.

"Mhmm. Right now, actually." He laughed, turning around and reaching over her head to grab a dish towel to dry his hands off on.

"Are you feeling any better?" She asked, looking down as she laced their fingers together. Scott walked to the table and sat with Kira and Liam, getting the cards ready.

"Yeah. I think I'm finally back to a normal human's body temperature now." He smiles down at her, and she laughs.

"Come on. It's time for me to kick your ass at poker." She nudged his shoulder, laughing as she pulled him to the table.


	30. Broken

"One more game?" Stiles begged Lydia, but she just shook her head, gathering all of the pennies from the middle. They were all pretty much broke, so they didn't make any real bets; they used pennies instead.

"Nope. I won fair and square." She grinned, shrugging her shoulders proudly.

"How do you keep winning, Lydia? You've won all six games. I think you're cheating." Liam complained, propping his chin on his fist pitifully.

"It's called strategy, Liam," She corrected him, laughing. "It's not hard if you know what you're doing."

"Next time we're playing without Lydia." Scott joked, yawning as he stood up.

"You need to teach me your ways." Kira smiled, and Lydia laughed.

"Definitely." Lydia told her, and walked over to her. "We should have a girls night sometime, Kira."

That's the point where Stiles stopped listening, because Scott started talking to him.

"I told mom about you and Lydia. She's so proud of you, Stiles." Scott smiled, and Liam, of course, was listening in and being nosy.

"Really?" Stiles faked a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "What'd she say?"

"She said that she was so proud of you for finally telling Lydia how you feel. That you guys have something special, and that she knew it would eventually bring you together one day." Scott smiled widely, and then hugged Stiles. There was nothing worse than disappointing Scott, and Stiles and Lydia were about to give him the worst dose of it he's probably ever gotten.

"Yeah. I think she's right." Stiles smiles, nodding his head.

"Scott, my mom just text me and wants me to come home." Kira sighed, and slipped her phone into her pocket.

"Already?" Lydia complained, sticking her lip out.

"Yeah. They wouldn't normally care but it's a school night, so…" Kira told them, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I should probably be getting home too." Liam admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come on, guys, just one more movie?" Stiles begged, not wanting the night to end yet. He especially didn't want to go home alone, sleep alone, and have to wait until morning to see Lydia again.

"I'm sorry, man. See you tomorrow." Scott patted his back, and they all told each other bye.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow too." Stiles turned to Lydia, leaning against a counter.

"You can...stay over if you want to. So you won't have to drive all the way here in the morning." She offered, and he looked down at the floor.

"I don't know. All of my clothes are at my house, I don't have any shampoo with me…"

"Sounds like you're just making up excuses to me. You can wear what you have on, and you can use my shampoo." She crossed her arms, and shrugged.

"No, I'm not making up excuses." He laughs, mirroring her gesture of crossing her arms. "My dad is home, too."

"You said that he wouldn't even know you weren't there, Stiles. That you go to bed after him, and that when he's off work, you leave for school before he wakes up. Do you not want to sleep over here or something?" She questions, and he instantly shakes his head and laughs, denying it. It was true.

"No. Why would I not want to?" He scoffs, shrugging his shoulders.

"How am I supposed to know? That's why I asked you." She laughs, stepping back to lean against the wall. "It's your choice."

"I guess...I'll stay." He decides, smiling at her.

"I don't want you to if you don't want to. I was just asking." She smiles back, nudging his shoulder.

"No, I want to." He assures her, laughing. "I do."

"Okay, great." She nods, smiling. They looked at each other until it was awkward. He felt weird, now, realizing he was just openly flirting with her like it was no big deal.

"I'm going to go ahead and take a shower now so we don't both have to in the morning. Is that okay?" He asks, fully standing up now.

"Mhmm. That's a good idea actually." She replied, and then walked to the front door, locking it. "I'm just going to tidy up really quick. You can go ahead."

"Alright. I'll be out in a minute." He answered, and went upstairs.

He took a shower, and afterwards had to hurriedly put his clothes on because it was so cold.

"I smell like strawberries now." Stiles laughed, tossing a towel at Lydia on the bed as he walked into her room twenty minutes later. She pulled the spoon out of her mouth, which was full of cookie dough, and laughed as she threw the towel back at him. Then she said something completely incomprehensible.

"What?" He laughed, hanging the towel up and then crawling underneath the blanket beside her.

"I said…" She replied, swallowing down the rest of the cookie dough. "That's a good thing. I love strawberries."

"Me too." He laughed, laying his head on her shoulder and opening his mouth. She scooped up a chunk of cookie dough, and slid the spoon in his mouth. "Mmm, this is good."

"I know." She sighed, and got another spoonful herself.

"It's so freakin' cold in here." He shivered, pulling the blanket up over his arms. Some movie was playing on her TV, and he watched it even though he had no idea what it was.

"I know. I turned the heat on a little while ago so it should warm up in a few minutes." Her teeth chattered as she set the cookie dough on the nightstand. She sunk down in the bed next to him, and snuggled against his side. "You smell amazing." She breathed in deeply and sighed, rubbing her nose against his arm.

"Thanks to your shampoo." He laughs, and looks at her. She just props her chin on her hand and smiles. Her hair is up in a loose bun, with curls hanging around her face. He reaches up and twirls one around his finger.

"Braid it?" She asks, reaching up and pulling her long hair from it's bun, making it cascade across her shoulders. "It's hard for me to reach."

"Sure." He answered, and she smiled and got off the bed. She stacked some pillows on the floor at the end of the bed and sat on them. He laid on his stomach, and they both watched the movie as he ran his fingers through her curly hair. She tilted her head as he gathered all of her hair together, and started braiding it. She was watching the movie, but he couldn't help but watch her.

He ran his fingers slowly against her neck, using the fact that he's braiding her hair as an excuse to touch her. He decided it was pretty creepy, though, so he stopped.

He wanted to be able to touch her and feel her whenever he wanted to. Not even in a sexual way, just in a 'I love you and I want to know you're close' kind of way. That's completely unachievable, though, and he knew it.

She handed him a hair tie, and he wrapped it around the base of her hair.

"Thanks." She turned around, and crawled onto the bed next to him, smiling.

"No problem." He replied, glancing at her. She nudges his shoulder until he puts his arm around her.

"It's way too cold in here." She shivered, shifting to lay on her back so she could look up at him. "I don't think it's gotten any warmer since I turned the heat on."

"Yeah, I don't really either." He laughed, his teeth chattering. "Do you want me to go check the thermostat?"

"I'm coming too." She immediately sat up, and laced their fingers together.

"Scared?" He laughed, nudging her shoulder playfully.

"No. Just freezing." She laughs, huddling against his side. This alone was worth being freezing cold over.

"Come on." He laughs, holding her as they walk through the hallway to the thermostat. He thumps the screen a few times. "It says it's on. I think it's broken."

"Oh no." She groaned pounding her fist against the thermostat. "It wasn't broken earlier."

"Lyd, that's not going to do anything but make it worse." He sighed, grabbing her hand and stopping her. "And it probably has been broken all day. The temperature has just dropped about fifteen degrees so it wasn't as cold earlier."

"What are we going to do, Stiles? It's so freaking cold." She whined, and he put his arms around her.

"Just grab some stuff and we'll go to my house, okay?" He tells her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms for warmth.

"Okay." She laughed and shook her head, in a 'I was being dramatic, we'll be fine' kind of way.

"I'll go get the Jeep started. Just meet me down there when you're done getting your stuff." He tells her, and she nods. They went their separate ways, and he had to unlock the doors as he went outside.

"Holy shit." He whispered to himself, stepping into the even-colder-than-inside air. He hurriedly walked to his Jeep, and got inside. It took him forever to get his key into the ignition because his fingers were completely stiff. When he cranked it, it made some loud, horrible noise. Panic set in his chest, as he tried to start it again, but only heard a few clicks. It wouldn't start. He bangs his forehead against the steering wheel, groaning.

After giving a few more unsuccessful attempts, he gets out of the Jeep, and walks back up the driveway to her front door. They almost run into each other when he tries to go inside, and she's trying to come out.

"What the hell?" She laughs, her teeth chattering. Her nose was red, and he could see her cool breath in the air. "Why aren't you in the Jeep?"

"It...won't start. It does this a lot in the winter." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just coming to tell you that we're going to have to take your car instead."

"We can't." She complained, putting her face in her hands. "I had to take it to get it fixed the other day. The brakes needed some work."

"Lydia, please be pulling some horrible, twisted joke on me right now. Please don't be serious." He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply.

"God, Stiles, do you see my car?! This is just as bad for me!" She threw her hands in the air, and groaned dramatically.

"Okay, then let's go back inside and call Scott then. He can drop us off at my house." He told her, and they headed back inside quickly. Lydia set her bag on the floor, and pulled her phone out; her hands shaking in the process. She called twice, but no one answered.

"He's asleep. He has a test tomorrow." Stiles remembered, mad at himself for forgetting.

"I'll call Kira." She nodded, and then dialed Kira's number. No answer. "Liam?"

"He can't drive yet, remember?" Stiles rolled his eyes, mad at Liam for not getting his license yet even though he could have.

"What can we do?" She whispered, putting her arms around Stiles' body for warmth.

"Let's just go upstairs and get under your blanket. It'll eventually warm up." He told her, even though he didn't really believe it himself.

It wasn't like they would die or anything. It wasn't _that_ cold, but it really, really felt like it was. They would get to live through the night, but he knew they wouldn't get much sleep at all.

"We better go now then." She answered, gulping as she grabbed his hand. "The sooner we go, the faster we get warm."


	31. Body Heat

**I know you're all ready for them to be together, but I'm just trying to keep it realistic for now. It's not even been a week since they've been fake dating - even though this fic has been going on for a lot longer! Haha! I hope you all enjoy :)**

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"I feel like Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic." Stiles' teeth chattered loudly, as he laughed against Lydia's neck.

They're under the blanket in Lydia's room cuddling, with a tiny wall heater plugged in. It really wasn't doing much at all right now, but he knew after a little while it will probably make a difference. So they just had to keep warm until then.

She had turned her body so that he's spooning her, and she pulled his arm over her, and held his hand. They've been sitting like that for probably five minutes, but their shaking bodies only seemed to get worse.

"Shut up, Stiles." She laughed, and he smiled. Even though he felt like he was freezing to death, making her laugh always made him feel better, no matter what the situation.

"Lyd, are you alright, though? Seriously?" He gulped, his mouth dry. She turned around in his arms, facing him.

"No. I'm not." She admitted, her body shivering non-stop. "Our only chance of keeping warm is b-body heat, but none of it is going to escape when we're both wearing these ten layers of clothes."

"So...?" He asks dumbly. He wasn't sure what she was getting at.

"So we need to take all of our clothes off. Or almost all of them, at least." She told him, blinking as she looked in his eyes. "We have to if we want to keep warm."

"You just really love seeing me naked, don't you?" He smiled, even though this may be one of his worst fears ever. He hated his body, and he hated himself.

"Exactly! Well, you know, that, or the fact that I could freeze to death. Either one." She replied sarcastically, and he rolled his eyes.

"You've spent way too much time around me." He laughs, gulping.

"Seriously, though, Stiles. We need all of the body heat we can possibly get." She sighs, pressing her cold hand against his arm.

"Lydia, I don't know..." He hesitated, his heartbeat annoyingly picking up again.

"Stiles, it's not like...that. It's the fact that we won't be able to fall asleep, or move, and it's possible that we could get sick from this. We need to keep warm." She replied, and he saw her lips turning purple, and her nose already was, and he knew he had to do this for her. To keep her safe. A stupid insecurity he has would be a horrible, selfish reason to let her stay cold like this.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay, you're right." He sat up halfway, and so did she.

"Okay. Just shirt and pants is fine." She told him, and he nodded. He took his jacket off, but it was hard because he could barely move his body at all. He felt like the tin-man from the Wizard of Oz that needed oil before he could move. In this case, though, he needed warmth.

Lydia saw his struggle, and helped him pull off his shirt. She did the same with hers, tugging at the hem, but then she hesitated suddenly.

"I need help taking this off, but um...I'm not wearing a bra, so just...don't look okay?" She told him, looking in his eyes. Oh God.

"Yeah. I won't look." He nodded, and even though he couldn't feel half of his body, his hands still started to sweat.

"Promise?" She asked, hesitating her fingers still at the bottom of her shirt.

"Of course. Promise." He replied, swallowing thickly.

"Okay, thanks. Just...close your eyes." She gave a half laugh, and he shut his eyes. She guided his hands to her shirt, and he helped her pull it off. "I'm gonna go grab a bra. Just a second."

He sat there on the bed with his eyes closed, fidgeting with the strings on his sweatpants nervously.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now." She told him, and he blinked them open the second she hooked her bra in the back. She turned to look at him, laughing awkwardly, and then crawled back into bed beside him. "Now it's time for pants to come off."

"You can't even wait to get my clothes off, can you?" He made a joke, forcing a painful laugh out.

"I really can't." She replied, getting on top of him and tugging his sweatpants off hurriedly.

"Lydia, what are you doing?" He asks, grabbing her shoulders to stop her.

"I'm cold, okay? And you were joking instead of taking them off." She laughs, tugging them over his feet, and then quickly pulling the blanket over her again. She was curled up right next to him, with her cold hands against his chest.

"I'm sorry." He laughed and shivered at the same time, putting his arms around her to bring her closer.

"It's not your fault that you can't help but joke at the worst times." She props her chin on top of her folded hands, which are on his chest. "Besides," She smiled, trying not to let her teeth chatter as she trailed her finger across his collarbone. "I like taking your pants off."

"I bet you say that to all the guys." He fakes to be flattered, and she cracks a smile.

"No. Just you." She laughs, looking in his eyes. It got intense enough that he had to look away. He turned and stared at the window, trying to calm his nerves. Then he felt her kissing down his chest.

"I've always had a thing for happy trails." She stopped long enough to look up at him, smiling, and then she pressed her lips against his skin again. Her fingers pushed into his hips, and her breath was hot and heavy against his stomach.

"Lydia wha-" He started to say, but then she swirled her tongue across his belly button. "H-holy shit." He panted, trying to catch his breath. It felt impossible.

"Relax." She whispered against his skin, just loud enough for him to hear. He wanted to ask why she was doing this because it came out of nowhere, but he didn't think he could even form words right now.

Her lips were warm and wet against his stomach, and then her fingers scratched gently from the top of his happy trail, down to where it disappeared beneath the waistband of his boxers. He let out an involuntary moan, whimpering at her touch.

"Lydia," he breathed heavily, swallowing thickly. "W-Why are you doing this?"

"I'm keeping you warm, idiot." She laughed, and he realized she was right. He was cold still, yeah, but he was also sweating too.

He flipped her over onto her back, and she laughed and covered her face with her hands.

"What are you laughing at?" He asks breathlessly, cracking a smile at her.

"You." She smiled, setting her hand on his cheek. He leaned into it.

"What about me?" He asked, letting her run her fingers through his hair.

"I don't know." She shook her head, wiping the grin from her face.

"No, you have to tell me now." He laughed, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "And to think, I was just about to do something to keep _you_ warm."

"Really? What were you gonna do?" She asks, biting her lip with anticipation.

"You'll never know now." He shrugs, and her jaw drops with a half smile. "Tell me."

"It's nothing! Just drop it." She grinned, trying to convince him. He reached down and started tickling her sides. She squirmed and laughed, trying to push his hands away.

"Stop! Stop!" She laughed uncontrollably, failing to peel his hands off.

"Nope! Not until you tell me."

"I will!" She yelled, with tears in her eyes from laughter. "Just stop, and I'll tell you!"

"Fine." He smiled, stopping his hands. "Now tell me."

"Okay." She replied, still smiling as she wiped her tears away. "I was just about to say that you were funny, is all."

"Okay, now you're making something up so you won't have to tell me what you were really thinking." He accuses, and she denies it.

"What? No I wasn't! How could you even know that, anyway?" She asks, crossing her arms. He glanced down at her chest, even though he really didn't mean to.

"You're such a guy!" She says annoyedly, pushing him off of her.

"I'm sorry, they're just...really out there." He scratched the back of his neck, and she groaned, and turned away from him.

"Whatever." She sighed with annoyance, pulling the blanket over her head.

"Lydia." He whined, getting under the blanket too. "Please look at me."

"Hmm, let me think." She hesitated, but didn't move. "No."

"I'm sorry." He pleaded, pressing his lips against her shoulder. "And it isn't like you weren't staring at me earlier when we went swimming. It's the same thing."

She was silent at that, and he thought she was mad. But she sighed, and turned around.

"Fine, you're right." She answered, looking at him.

"I am?" He smiles, and then clears his throat. "I mean...yeah."

"And my boobs are pretty great, so I guess I can't blame you." She shrugs, laughing. He laughs too, and she turns her body all the way around to look at him.

"I'm not near as cold anymore. How are you?" He asks, warming her arms up with his hands.

"I'm better too. Still cold, but not freezing." She laughs, and then turns to look up at the ceiling. He looks at her.

"You're really pretty." He whispered, watching her long eyelashes touch her skin when she blinked. He didn't really mean to say it out loud, but he's definitely done more embarrassing things the past few days, so he didn't worry about it too much.

She turns and looks in his eyes for a second, and then cracks a smile. She squeezes his arm, and then turns back to look at the ceiling again, still smiling.

He could look at her for years. Her beautiful hair, her skin, her eyes. He really hated being in love.

He leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek, but at that exact moment, she turned to look at him. Their noses bumped, and their lips touched. Their mouths brushed across each others softly, without even meaning to. Lydia gasped quietly, and they both pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Stiles whispered, gulping. They looked at each other, and she glanced down at his lips. Her own lips were parted, because she still hadn't caught her breath. Neither had he.

His muscles were stiff still from the tension between him and Lydia. Things were weird with them right now. He was pretty sure they could have sex together, and as long as they didn't kiss each other, it wouldn't be weird. He didn't understand it. Why is kissing such a big deal for them, and giving each other hickeys isn't? Or kissing each others half-naked bodies?

She looked back into his eyes, and couldn't help but gulp for the millionth time. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and so did his. His cheeks were even burning from the unbearable tension between them.

He knew he should say something to make them laugh and ease the tension like he always did, but for once, it felt out of place.

She leaned in, and his heartbeat was so loud that it was pounding in his ears, because he was sure she was going to kiss him. And she did.

On the cheek.

She laughed then, breathlessly, and rubbed her thumb over the spot where she kissed him.

"That's how you kiss someone on the cheek, Stiles." She laughed quietly, and then laid beside him. She pressed her back against his chest, and he put his arm around her, spooning her. He really hoped she couldn't feel his heart pounding.

"Goodnight." She sighed, kissing his hand.

"Goodnight, Lydia." He replied, staring at the wall. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon.


	32. Waking Up

"Stiles, wake up." Lydia yawned, and threw a pillow at him.

"Where am I?" He groaned, his eyes still shut. His voice was raspy and low, and his mind was groggy.

"My house. Now get your ass up or we're going to miss first period again." Lydia laughed, and he heard her moving around her bedroom.

"I don't wanna." He complained, burying his face in the pillow.

"Hey Stiles, can you help me hook my bra? I can't get it." She sighed with frustration, and he moved so fast that he got tangled in the sheets and fell off the bed.

"I knew that would get you up. In more ways than one." She laughed down at him, brushing her wet hair out. She was only in a bra and underwear, though, and he decided that he could wake up like this every morning and be just fine.

"Very cruel joke." He huffed, untangling himself from the mound of sheets he was wrapped in. "And perverted, also."

"It worked, didn't it?" She laughed, tossing his clothes at him. "Get dressed."

"Fine." He stood up, almost falling over as he tried to get his pants on. "Wait a second." He said, his eyes widening. "Why isn't it freezing cold in here?"

"I text my mom about the heat last night, so she called and got the first opening to fix it this morning. The guy just left a few minutes ago." She replied, tying her wet hair back.

"Oh, thank God." He laughed, pulling his shirt on. He sat at the edge of her bed and yawned while he watched her get ready. "So where is your mom, anyway? I don't think I ever asked. Sorry."

"No, it's fine." She laughed, pulling a skirt and shirt from their hangers in her closet. "Some of her girlfriends invited her to a spa week. She wasn't going to go, but I convinced her to. She needs it. Besides, she has two weeks paid vacation, and she's only using one. Win-win."

"Oh, that's cool. I wish we got a vacation from school." He laughed, and averted his eyes as she pulled her skirt on.

"Summer?" She laughed, and he shook his head.

"Oh yeah. I'm a dumbass." He laughed, putting his face in his hands.

"Nah." She smiled, and tucked her shirt into her skirt. She put a cardigan on over it, and rifled through her jewelry box. She held up two different earrings, and compared them. "Which ones?"

"Hmm. The dangly ones." He pointed, and she nodded.

"My thoughts exactly." She replied, putting them in her ear. She went back to her closet, and found a pair of sandals to wear.

"Can I ask you something?" He questions, breathing in deeply. "It's been bugging me for a while and I don't...I don't know who else to talk to."

"Yeah." She sat down beside him, suddenly looking worried. "Of course."

"How...how are you so confident all the time?" He asks, scratching the back of his neck. He knew this wasn't the best time for this, but no time was ever really the best time for this. "I mean you should be, definitely. You're…" He started to say, but immediately thought better of it. "I'm just wondering. I struggle with that stuff a lot. I don't know why, and I don't know how to fix it."

"I think everyone goes through that, Stiles. You might not think I do, but I do. It used to be worse than it is now, though." She sighed, and licked her lips like she was deep in thought. "I used to hate myself a lot. I guess I just learned that...no one sees you the way you see yourself. I mean…" She stopped again, trying to find the right words. "You hate yourself, and don't like the way you look, but everyone loves you, Stiles. I know it's hard to see that sometimes, but it's true. And you're hot too, like really hot. And...promise you won't tell anyone? Or use it against me?"

"Um, I guess." He smiled, but she narrowed her eyes. He immediately corrected himself.."Okay, promise."

"Okay. Well I…I lied the other day. You turned me on. Big time. It's kind of annoying, actually." She laughed and covered her face with embarrassment, and he could feel his face burning too.

"No way." He laughed, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yes way." She laughed too, still embarrassed as she nudged his arm with her elbow. "You're honestly a lot better looking than you think. I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true."

"Thanks, Lydia." He smiled, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. He wanted to believe her, he really did, but the idea of what she said felt impossible. It has to be.

"No problem." She laughed, and it trailed off into silence. It's awkward now. She got up suddenly, and stripped her clothes off. She cleared her throat, apparently feeling the same awkwardness he is. "I can't wear this. I don't know what I was thinking; it's way too cold."

"I could keep you warm like I did last night." He gave his best fake sexy voice, and she looked at him and laughed. Then she immediately stopped laughing, and looked towards the doorway behind him.

"Mom?" Lydia whispered and gulped, as she stood there half-naked with Stiles saying sexual things to her. "I-I thought you wouldn't be home until Sunday."

He wanted to run away. Like actually open the window, jump out, and never stop running. He slowly turned around, ready to face the most embarrassing thing in his entire life. He fully turned around now, but no one was there. Lydia started laughing uncontrollably, and his heart pounded.

"I hate you! Holy shit." Stiles breathed out, collapsing face-first onto her bed.

"You have to admit that was good." She shrugs with a grin, proud of herself.

"You're such a dick for doing that." He whined, burying his face in a pillow. He was still embarrassed at the thought of that even happening. He didn't even want to think about it.

"You pull pranks like that on me all the time." She laughed, pulling on a pair of black skinny jeans.

"Not on that level." He let out a long breath, shaking his head. "Oh! Before I forget, do you want to drop you off back here after school? I'm spending time with my dad tonight."

"Oh yeah. That's fine." She nodded, pulling on a top. "What are you guys doing?"

"I'm not sure. I think we're going to dinner." He told her, and she glanced over at him and smiled.

"That sounds great. I'm glad you get to spend time with him." She told him, and he smiled back.

"Me too."

"We should go." She laughed, slipping a different pair of shoes on, and then grabbing his arm. "We're gonna be late."


	33. Family Time

**Oh my God! I had the whole chapter 32 typed out, and I thought I posted it Thursday night but I didn't! I'm so sorry - I just noticed this. I even posted it on AO3 - I just didn't post it on here I'm sorry :( So this chapter you're about to read is actually chapter 33, so you can go back to chapter 32 and read Thursday nights update because I added it in! (I suggest re-reading this one again afterwards too, so you won't be confused). Again, I'm very sorry for this!  
**

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"Can't you come in for just a little while?" Lydia complained, leaning against the wall beside her front door. "It doesn't have to be long."

They had just gotten out of school, and it was long and boring like always. It sucked that they didn't have any classes together, so as usual, he was constantly on the edge of his seat waiting for the bell to ring. He's at her house now, though, dropping her off so he can go see his dad.

"I can't. He's home now waiting for me. He has to go back at seven." Stiles sighed, and she gave him a pouty lip.

"Fine." She complained, crossing her arms pitifully.

"Don't be such a baby." He laughed, bumping her arm with his. "I'll see you tomorrow I guess."

"Okay, see you tomorrow." She gave a half-smile, swaying back and forth.

"Bye, Lyd." He told her, leaning down and kissing her.

"Bye." She answered against his lips, and then turned around to open the door. He smiled and walked to his Jeep, and it took all the way until he climbed onto his seat and was fumbling for his keys before he realized. They kissed. No one was around, and they kissed. For no reason. He was just about to climb out and apologize, before she ran back outside, and he rolled down his window as she approached. They both laughed awkwardly, and she was still breathless from running.

"That...was an accident." She laughed, scratching the back of her neck.

"Yeah. Yeah, I didn't even realize until I got in my jeep." He laughed too, and gripped at the steering wheel nervously.

"Me neither. I think it's just...a habit, you know? Since we have to do it so much in public." She answered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh yeah. Definitely. That's what I was thinking too." He nodded, forcing himself to look at her so he wouldn't look like he was acting so weird. It probably made it worse though.

"Okay." She laughed, breathing out. "See you tomorrow."

"Mhmm. Bye, Lyd." He smiled, and she hesitated a second, before walking back up to her front door. She turned and awkwardly waved at him before she went in.

He didn't understand why kissing had to be so weird between them. He thought about it all the way home, but he still couldn't come up with anything. He wanted to ask her, but he knew it would just produce more awkwardness for them that he really didn't want to deal with.

He decided that he wasn't going to think about any of that tonight – just relax and catch up with his dad.

"I can't believe we actually live in the same house. It feels like I haven't seen you in a month." Stiles laughed, walking up to his dad and hugging him.

"I know, son." His dad laughed, patting him on the back. "Ready to go eat? I'm starving."

"Yeah." Stiles replied, grabbing a different jacket.

They walked out to his dad's vehicle and got in. Of course, the first thing he asked about was the topic he was trying to avoid.

"So...I heard that you and Lydia are dating?" His dad laughs, like he couldn't believe it. Stiles felt sick seeing that happy face on so many people lately. He hated disappointing them.

"Did Melissa tell you that?" Stiles laughs, and scratches his neck.

"Maybe." He replies, shrugging his shoulders. This is horrible. He didn't know what he should tell him.

"Dad, me and Lydia…" Stiles started to say, about to tell him the truth.

"Is pizza okay? Sorry to interrupt, but I don't want to pass the restaurant if that's what you wanted." His dad asked, slowing down.

"Yeah, Dad, pizza's fine." Stiles sighed, and looked out the window. He couldn't believe that this is what happens when you try to tell the truth.

They pulled into the parking lot, and a waitress seated them when they went in.

"So. How's school?" His dad asks, flipping through a menu.

"It's good. Lydia has helped bring up my grades a lot. She knows everything." He laughs, ripping up the napkin in front of him into tiny pieces.

"Back to Lydia." His dad smiled, like he couldn't be more proud. Stiles felt like puking. "How are you two? When I heard that you were dating…"

"I need to talk to you about that actually." Stiles gulped, still fidgeting nervously with the napkin.

"You're not proposing, Stiles. You are too young, don't rush this." His dad immediately cut in, and Stiles kept trying to convince himself not to tell him. That would be easiest way. It seemed like every time he tried to, something happened to ruin the chance. Maybe it was a sign.

"Dad, I'm not proposing to her." He laughs, shaking his head. "I need to tell you something."

"Do you want pepperoni?" His dad asked, squinting at the menu.

"Dad, would you listen to me?!" Stiles replied angrily, slapping the menu out of his dad's hands and onto the table.

"What is it, son?" His dad asked, confused at his sudden anger.

"I'm trying to say...God, Dad, me and Lydia aren't actually dating." Stiles finally told him, shaking his head. "I've been trying to tell you that."

"What? What the hell are you talking about, Stiles?" He asks, narrowing his eyes and shaking his head like Stiles must be crazy. Then the waiter came to bring their drinks and take their order, interrupting the conversation on accident. Stiles wanted to die.

"So…?" His dad questions as the waiter leaves.

"The pack kept bothering us about liking each other, and finally we had enough. Lydia came up with this idea where we would...fake date for a while. When we thought they had enough, we figured we would tell them it was all fake and they'd stop bugging us. But it didn't work like that. We thought it was a good idea, well she did, but they were so into it. They kept telling us how happy they were that we were finally together. They wouldn't shut up about it. We feel freaking horrible now, though. I haven't told anyone this." He sighs, putting his face in his hands. "I can't even talk to Scott. He's so proud of me, and I just...I'm an idiot."

"Sometimes I just can't understand how you could possibly maneuver yourself into these kinds of situations." The sheriff sighed, and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

"Dad, I need advice!" Stiles answered, practically ripping his hair out. "Not even Lydia knows the real truth. I'm so freaking in love with her and she thinks it's all pretend. It is for her, but not for me. God, I'm miserable." Stiles whined, and his dad sighed again. "It's going to be so hard to tell them. It was hard enough telling you."

"When are you going to tell them?" He asks quietly, obviously feeling bad for him.

"We have it set for Friday." Stiles replied, groaning again at the thought. Just two days away.

"Just...I don't know Stiles. You really have a great knack for getting yourself into trouble."

"You think I don't know?" He replied, sucking down his drink for an excessive amount of time. "You're the only person I haven't lied to about it. Lydia thinks that I'm just lying to the pack like she is, but I've been lying straight to her face too."

"I think you should tell her how you feel." His dad shrugged, and scanned the menu again.

"Dad! How can I do that?" Stiles replied with annoyance, throwing his hands in the air dramatically. "I can't. We've gotten so close lately. I can't explain it, but I just can't tell her."

"Okay. You asked for my advice - I gave it to you." The sheriff admitted, taking a bite of his pizza. "Wait a second, why did you even agree to do this 'fake dating' lie anyway?"

"I had to! I said no at first, but she insisted. I couldn't really refuse without giving away that I like her. I don't know." Stiles sighed, chewing on his pizza sadly.

"Scott will be upset, Stiles, but he'll forgive you. He's not going to care about you lying to him as much as you think he will. He's going to care that you aren't as happy as he thought you were. That will get to him the most." His dad answered, and Stiles knew that he was right deep down. Scott just wanted Stiles to be happy.

"Oh God, Dad, I can't tell him. I can't." Stiles shrugged, completely giving up.

"You have to! You're not going to let this lie brew longer than it needs to. The longer it goes on, the worse the outcome will be." He assured him, and he's right. They thought that waiting would solve all of their problems and make this easier, but all it's really done is made it ten times harder on everyone.

"You're right. We'll tell them Friday." He answered, making his mind up.

"Good. Everything will turn out fine, Stiles, okay? You just need to tell Lydia." Mr. Stilinski told him, reaching up to pat his shoulder.

"No, Dad, I'm not gonna tell Lydia. Ever. I can't. Nothing will change my mind, and I mean that." He sighs, shaking his head.

"Fine. I just don't like the thought of you getting older and still thinking about her, and still loving her. If you're never going to tell her, then you might as well start getting over her right now, Stiles. It's going to haunt you if you don't."

"Dad, you're making this, like, a thousand times worse right now." Stiles groaned, shoving the rest of his pizza into his mouth.

"Okay, I'll back off. I'm just telling you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not."

"I know." Stiles replied, looking down at his hands.

They spent another hour and a half there talking about school and work. It wasn't a whole lot of time, but they were both glad they could finally catch up on some things.

When they got home, Stiles waited in the kitchen while his dad got dressed for work.

"Bye, Dad." Stiles whispered as he hugged him tightly.

"Bye, Son. Hopefully I'll be home more often next week. This week has been crazy - weird deaths have been happening, and we think they're connected. I don't know. Anyway, I gotta go. Bye." His dad replied hurriedly, leaving Stiles by the front door confused.

He shook it off, and went upstairs. He laid in bed, realizing he finally had some time to think things through.


	34. Interrupted

**I messed up some of the chapters, so please go back to chapter 33 before you read this! Just read what I put on the summary like this text :)**

* * *

He laid in bed for three hours watching TV and eating junk food. He was even on his laptop looking at WikiHow to find out how to tell you're best friend you're completely in love with her. Not that he would ever tell her anyway, but he was still curious.

He thought of Lydia, and all of the memories from this week. Every time she smiled or laughed, and even when she was mad. Then, without his permission, his brain kept making him picture her in the hot tub on top of him, wet and steamy. He couldn't stop thinking about it as hard as he tried. So he decided to do something he hadn't gotten the chance to do in what seemed like a year, even though it was only one day. There was a huge difference in having to do it in a certain amount of time, and then being alone and taking as much time as you wanted.

He reached under his bed and grabbed a bottle of lotion, and then some tissues from on his night stand. He made himself comfortable on his bed, squirted some lotion onto his hand, and then reached into his pants. He sighed and laid his head back against the headboard, as he started getting himself off.

He thought about Lydia. He thought about her coming into his room right now, confessing her love for him. He felt bad about it, but he even imagined them kissing on his bed, taking their clothes off, making Lydia whimper and moan.

He's sweating now, and his eyebrows are furrowed and his eyes are closed. He's breathing heavily as he rubs himself; moaning and groaning and everything in between. His chest is practically dripping with sweat now, as he starts to feel the build up. His stomach is burning, and he knows he's almost there.

"Stiles!" Lydia gasps, and he freezes. He squeezed his eyes shut even more than they were already, and prayed to God that it was only in his mind. "Are you…?"

"Oh my God." He whispers breathlessly as he looks at her, scrambles off the bed, and locks himself in his bathroom. He had only seen her face for maybe half of a second, but what he did see was pure shock. Her mouth was open, and her eyes were wide, and he couldn't get the look on her face out of his head. He felt sick to his stomach.

He sat there for a few minutes, not knowing what to do or say. He figured she had probably left immediately after the incident, so he got up and washed the lotion off of his hands. His hands were shaking, and he could actually cry from embarrassment. He didn't think he has ever, or ever will be, as humiliated as he is right now.

He had his back against the door, with his face in his hands.

"Stiles?" Lydia asks quietly from the other side of the door. "It's okay."

He thought she had left. He sunk his back down the door, with his face in his hands, until he was completely lying on the floor. He didn't answer her. He didn't think he could even if he wanted to.

"Seriously. Everyone has been walked in on before." She laughed, and he crossed his arms over his face, even though she couldn't see him. "My mom walked in on me when I was thirteen. It was horrible."

He smiled at that, and curled up in a ball on his bathroom floor. He had been in some really, really, really embarrassing situations, but this most definitely takes the cake. He would rather his dad been the one who walked in on him. That's happened before, anyway. Like three times.

"Stiles, will you talk to me? It's honestly no big deal." She laughed weakly, but he really wished he could just be alone right now. "I know you weren't expecting me to come, okay? It's my fault."

He still didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. ' _Sorry you saw me jerking off. Wanna watch a movie?'_

Suddenly the door opened, and she slid the credit card she unlocked it with into her pocket. He whined, and hid his blushing face.

"Lydia." He groaned, covering his face. "Don't even look at me. I'm so freaking embarrassed. I could die."

"It's okay." She laughed, sitting down on the floor beside him. She put her arm on his bare shoulder, and he started feeling self conscious "It really is. I actually…nevermind." She laughs, shaking her head.

"I hate when you do that." He sighs, running his hand through his hair. "Like it bothers me so bad."

"I was just saying...I don't know, I guess it was pretty hot to see you like that." She glanced down at his happy trail, and then up to his eyes.

"Now isn't the time for your jokes, Lydia." Stiles groans, and she clears her throat and shakes her head.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course not. Sorry." She told him, putting her hand on his back. Her skin was so warm and soft against his, and it gave him chill bumps.

"I think...I think I need to take a cold shower. A really, really cold shower." He laughed, using his hands to push himself off the floor.

"Or just take a warm one and finish what you were doing." She shrugged, smiling. He blushed, and laughed nervously. "You kind of seem a little...worked up. You probably need to release some of that built-up tension."

"What are you, a doctor?" He gulped and laughed, trying to untie his sweatpants. There's a knot in it that wouldn't let him. She was standing in the doorway now, watching, but she made her way towards him when she noticed him struggling.

"No," She laughed, sliding her hand down his chest, through the hair on his happy trail, down to the low-hanging sweatpants he was wearing. His breath caught in his throat, but he tried not to let her see it.

She untied it slowly but easily, and looked in his eyes as she pushed his sweatpants down his legs. "But that does remind me. You promised you would put on your doctor costume again, but you never did."

"I, um, had hoped you had forgotten about that." He laughs, but his gulp was obvious this time. She had to know what she was doing to him.

"No chance. You have to do it when you get out of the shower." She smiled, and tilted her head as she bit her lip.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes, trying to pretend like he wasn't about to burst.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Lydia questions, and the multiple possibilities of things she could want to ask him made him stress out more than he ever has before.

"Of course. Go ahead." He forces a smile, and his heart starts racing.

"What were thinking about? While you were jacking off, I mean." She asked, and he blushed again at her bluntness.

"I...I don't know." He replied, and she laughed. The worst part is that it was like she already knew he was getting off to the thought of her, but she was just seeing if he'd admit it. He felt trapped. "Naked girls, I guess."

"Anyone in particular?" She asks, looking up his chest, and then flickering her eyes up to his. She knows. He doesn't know how, but she definitely knows.

"It wasn't you if that's what you were wondering." He lied, putting on his best act. "Definitely not."

"What could I do to make it be?" She asked quietly, pressing her body against his. She grabbed his hand, and guided it across her body until it settled on her ass. He sucked in a huge breath, and actually had to bite at his fist.

"I don't…I don't think about you that way." He breathed out, his words not convincing at all.

"I've given you multiple boners the past few days, not even trying to." She laughed, her fingers lightly touching his collarbone. It was driving him insane. Then she looks down, and the looks back up, smiling. "And one right now."

"Okay, that doesn't count. I already had this one before you burst in the room." He laughed, trying to ease the tension. He didn't know what the hell she wanted him to say. "Holy shit. Are you drunk?"

"Not drunk. I only had two glasses of wine." She smiled, and he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed before. Her cheeks were rosy and she was whispering and being sexy. He should have known.

"You drove here like this?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows. She nodded. "Why would you do that? Why are you here?"

"I got bored. I wanted to see you." She replied, looking down at the floor.

"You could have gotten in an accident, Lydia. I would have come and picked you up if you would have called." He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, full of stress. "You can't scare me like that."

"I didn't mean to. I feel fine - I didn't think it was a big deal." She whispered, biting her lip, still looking at the floor. "Sorry. I should have text you."

"It's fine." He sighed, grabbing her shoulders and moving her out of the way. "I need to take a shower. Drink some water, okay?"

"I will." She told him, watching him for a second. Then she went to walk out, but she hesitated at the door. "Oh, and Stiles?"

"Yeah?" He asks, turning to look at her. He has the shower running, and his hand is under the water testing it.

"You're a horrible liar." She smiled, and then closed the door as she walked out.


	35. Caught

"You were serious about that?" Stiles laughs, looking at the scrubs she laid out on his bed as he walks out of his bathroom and into his bedroom. She was watching TV, but she turns her body and grins so she could look at him.

"What - you thought I'd joke about it? No way. Put it on." She smiled, propping her chin on her hand.

He noticed a glass of water almost empty beside her, and her cheeks were less rosy. He could tell she had sobered up tremendously.

"Fine. But only because I promised I would." He half-laughed, half-groaned, as he made his way to his bed where his scrubs were. He grabbed at the pack of his shirt, and pulled it over his head.

"Strip! Strip! Strip!" She chanted, laughing. He rolled his eyes and laughed too, as he took his sweatpants off.

"I'm sure you would enjoy that way too much." He shook his head, smiling as he put the costume on.

"So did you...relieve yourself?" She smiled, knowing he would get embarrassed. He did.

"That's a terrible term, but yeah, actually, I did, if you have to know." He answered, almost tripping as he tries to pull his pants on. She laughed.

"I can't believe I know what you look like when you're masturbating." She falls back on the bed and closes her eyes, smiling as she pretends to imagine it. "My daydreams have come true."

"You're such a jerk." He laughs with embarrassment, and tosses a spare pillow at her. She catches it and laughs even harder, huddling up to the pillow.

"So what do you think?" He asks, giving his best soap opera look and pose. He narrowed his eyes and stared at nothing, looking as dramatic as possible.

"Oh, Doctor Stilinski, won't you ravish me already?" Lydia ran her hands down her neck, closing her eyes like she was absolutely desperate. "You saved my life. There has to be some way I can repay you…?"

"Lydia, don't start this again…" He laughed nervously, rubbing his neck. She crawled across the bed towards him, and sat up on her knees. She grabbed his shirt, and pulled him towards her.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Doctor. Are you feeling alright?" She bit her lip, and pressed her cool hand against his hot forehead. "Oooh, you feel feverish. Maybe you should lie down."

"Okay, fine. I'll go along with this weird fetish you have, but not for long." He laughs, rolling his eyes as she pulls him onto the bed. She hadn't broken character once yet.

"You're just the best doctor I've ever had, Mr. Stilinski. But sometimes even doctors get sick, huh?" She asks with a whisper, and he sucked in a breath. He hated this. "They need to be taken care of too, right?"

"Mhmm." He nodded, his mind stuck on the feel of her fingernails lightly scratching against his chill-bump-covered skin.

"Don't worry - I'll make you feel better." She smiled, and slid her hands beneath his shirt. She moved them higher and higher, pressing her fingers into his chest. It also made his shirt ride up above his stomach, exposing his skin.

She leaned down, and he closed his eyes as he felt her hot breath against his stomach. He had forgotten how good that felt. She moaned quietly against his stomach, and then used her tongue. He gripped at the sheets beside him, and this time he was the one to moan. She kissed her way back up his chest, and then he felt her hand. It was slowly moving down his stomach, and then it was sliding beneath the waistband of his scrubs.

"Hey." He whispered, looking at her as he grabbed her hand, stopping her. She looked up at him, and she was breathless and sweaty just like him. Some stupid cooking show was playing in the background, but both of them were too preoccupied to notice. "What are you doing?"

"I just...I don't know." She breathes out, blushing. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." More than fine, he thought. In fact, he wasn't sure why he stopped her. He was pretty positive that it was the whole 'this would hurt me too bad since I love her' type of thing. That's why he always imagined her telling him that she's in love with him before anything sexual happened in his mind.

She uncomfortably climbed off of him, and got on the other side of the bed. This felt like the most awkward it's ever been between them, and it's miserable.

They both sat there for probably five minutes pretending to watch the TV, but they were really just thinking and worrying. He turned to look at her, trying to think of something to say. Anything.

"Stop staring at me." She whispered, but it was loud enough for him to hear. "Please."

"Oh. Um, yeah. Sorry." He responded, with his feelings massively hurt. He didn't know what to do.

Before he could even think of another plan on how to make things less awkward, for some reason, somehow, she had turned his face to her, and kissed him. His eyes were wide as he looked at her, but hers were shut and her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration.

He pulled away from her. It took a second for her eyes to blink back open, and her eyebrows were still creased. Her lips were parted because she was trying to catch her breath.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered hoarsely, and then gulped. He felt like he was in shock. Her cheeks were flushed again, but this time it wasn't from wine. "I don't know why I, um, did that."

He breathed out a long, very uneven breath, before he quickly wound his hand in her hair, and kissed her again. She whimpered with surprise, and desperately gripped at his clothes. He kissed her hard and passionately, and she sighed against him. It was the best feeling in the world.

He was on top, and he laced their fingers together messily. He couldn't stop kissing her. It was like all of that built up tension that was caused from only being able to kiss in public was channeled into this one moment.

"Take it off." She breathed heavily against his lips, tugging at his shirt desperately. He pulled away from her for a second, but for enough time to take his shirt off. He tossed it on the floor, and when he was leaning in to kiss her again, he noticed how beautiful she looked. Her hair was a complete mess, and she was biting her lip like she couldn't wait another second. And she didn't have to.

He grabbed her face, and kissed her like it was the last time he would ever be able to. He kissed her slowly but passionately, and they were scratching at each others feverish skin uncontrollably. He slid his hand behind her and under her shirt, pressing it flat against her bare back.

"Do it." She gasped, kissing up his neck as she sat up. "Take my shirt off."

He hesitated for half of a second, before pulling her shirt over her head. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him on top of her. The skin of his chest was pressed against hers, and her lace bra was rubbing against him.

She started untying her sweatpants, and his heart almost stopped. He froze. He didn't understand what was happening. All of this felt like a dream.

"Help me." She laughed, trying to catch her breath. He pulled away from her, and looked in her eyes as he slid the sweatpants down her legs. Her smile faded, and she gulped. Her head fell back against the pillow, as he kissed slowly up her thigh. His hands ran up and down her legs, as he moved up higher, and kissed right below her belly button. Her back arched and she moaned loudly, as his fingers slipped under the sides of her underwear, pressing against her hips.

"Stiles, please." She begged, grasping his hand in hers, and looking in his eyes. "Please."

He gulped and nodded, and she watched as he hooked his fingers beneath the waistband of her underwear. She suddenly gasped loudly, and he looked up.

"Okay, I'm not that good." He laughed, mentally trying to prepare himself for what was about to happen.

"H-Hi, Mr. Stilinski." Lydia croaked, her eyes wide.

"Jesus, Lydia, do you really think I'd believe that again?" He laughed and shook his head, leaning back down to kiss her stomach. Lydia pinched his hand, and he sat up, shaking it.

"Shit, that hurt." He accused, looking at his hand.

And then he heard his dad clear his throat behind him. Lydia wasn't messing with him this time.


	36. Speech

**The next few are filler chapters, but Friday is soon :-) I'll let you all know that the 'talk' won't happen on Friday, but a lot of things will happen over the weekend!**

* * *

"I want both of you dressed and downstairs in less than a minute." His dad says sternly, and Lydia covers herself with a blanket and nods. He turns around, and walks downstairs.

"Stiles, I thought your dad was working all night!" Lydia blushed, covering her face with her hands. "Jesus Christ, I feel sick."

"I thought he was at work too." Stiles gulps, gathering their clothes from the floor, and handing her her top and sweatpants. They both put their clothes on quickly, and looked at each other with fear before they descended the stairs.

His dad was sitting down at the table, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Have a seat." He sighed, gesturing towards the open chairs. Stiles wanted to grab Lydia's hand and run.

"What's up, Daddio?" Stiles laughed awkwardly, nudging his arm. "Catch any bad guys?"

"Don't start with me right now, Stiles." His dad sighed like he was exhausted already, and Stiles pushed his lips together and sat back in his seat. Lydia was sitting up completely straight in her chair, with her hands folded on the table. "And why the hell are you wearing scrubs?"

"I thought you were, um, working all night." Stiles sighed and scratched the back of his neck, realizing that probably made it ten times worse. He ignored the scrubs question. That's definitely not something he wanted to talk about with his dad.

"I _am_. That's why I came by to grab some clothes for tomorrow - I had forgotten to get them earlier. I didn't exactly expect to walk in on you two...doing whatever the hell it was you were doing." He throws his hands in the air, and Lydia blushed again. "Oh, and I thought you weren't actually dating. Was that a lie?"

"No! No sir. It's true - we aren't dating. We didn't mean to, um, go that far." Lydia laughs uncomfortably, and then clears her throat. "It has never happened before, and it won't again. We've just been spending so much time together and...we got caught up in our lie, is all. I'm so sorry, Mr. Stilinski."

Stiles was actually pretty relieved that he wasn't the one who had to explain.

"I believe you." The sheriff replied, and she let out a long, uneven breath. "But that doesn't mean there won't be consequences."

"Dad, it's really not a big deal, I promise." Stiles lied straight through his teeth, and his dad even knew it. This is a huge deal. His real goal was to get Lydia to believe it.

"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. It doesn't matter. I'm not good at this parenting thing, but I can't let this slide. I won't tell your mother, Lydia, but your punishment is that you can't see each other for a week." His dad replied, and Stiles knew he didn't even want to say that, but he was trying to be a good parent.

"Dad. We're telling the pack that this is fake on Friday." Stiles answered, and his dad groaned.

"Stiles, I'm really trying here." His dad replied quietly, and Stiles sunk back against his chair. "Fine. Until Friday after school."

"That's so stupid!" Stiles immediately accused, throwing his hands in the air dramatically.

"No, you know what's stupid? Having to come home and walk in on your son and his 'friend'-"

"-Okay, _please_ do not finish that." Stiles groaned, putting his forehead on the table. Things just kept getting more and more embarrassing today.

"Listen, kids, I know this won't stop you. If this happens again, all I can ask is that you use protection."

"Dad! Oh my God." Stiles complains, feeling his face burning. If only he had locked his door, they wouldn't be in this situation.

"I'm trying to be a good parent here!" His dad sighs, and rubs the back of his neck.

"I know." Stiles answers, biting the inside of his cheek. "Sorry."

Stiles was pretty embarrassed that they were having this 'talk', but he was mostly embarrassed because Lydia is here to witness it. He never wanted to look at her again.

"Maybe Melissa can deal with this." His dad answered, reaching in his pocket for his phone.

"No! No, Dad, you can't talk to Melissa. She doesn't know this is fake." Stiles interjected quickly, and his dad hesitated.

"I'm not really sure I know either!" He replies, and Lydia still says silent. He felt bad for her. If the tables were turned and it was her mom who had walked in on them, he would be scared to death right now.

"Dad, believe me. I-I don't even know what it was, okay? We're just stupid hormonal teenagers, is all. It's never happened before. You just managed to walk in on one rare time that it did. It could ruin everything if you told Melissa." Stiles pleaded dramatically. "We'll agree to not see each other okay? Not until Friday after school."

His dad looked at both of them, and then gave in.

"Fine. Fine, you wore me down. I really need to get back to work now. I won't be around to make sure you keep your word, so I'm just going to trust that you'll keep it, okay? Both of you." He stared at them, trying to keep the whole 'worried and protective' look down.

"Yes sir." Lydia nodded, and Stiles reluctantly agreed.

"Yeah. We will dad." He rolled his eyes, and his dad stood up.

"Good. Now Lydia needs to go home, it's getting late." His dad stood up from the table, and looked at them. "No seeing each other until Friday, okay? Not even at school."

"Jesus, we get it Dad." Stiles laughed, patting him on the back. "Don't worry. It won't happen again."

"Okay." His dad answered, looked at them one last time, and then left.

"I'm so humiliated." Lydia whined and blushed, looking at Stiles. He walked towards her to console her, but she dodged him and licked her lips. "I have to go."

"Yeah. Yeah, you probably should." He nodded, scratching the back of his neck. He knew she was embarrassed, but it seemed like she was frustrated at him. "Hey, Lydia, are you o-"

"-I really need to go." She told him, running her fingers through her hair. She didn't even glance at him before she walked out the door and left him standing there alone. He wanted to chase after her and make sure she was okay, but he thought better of it. If she wanted to talk about it, she would have.

He sluggishly went upstairs, and flopped face-first onto his bed. He groaned loudly, knowing no one was around to hear it. So much had happened in the past twenty minutes that he couldn't even begin to comprehend.

First off, she walked in on him masturbating. Secondly, they had made out on his bed. That incident kept flashing in his mind, and he couldn't for the life of him stop thinking about it.

He had actually been ten seconds away from taking her underwear off. He didn't know how or why it happened, and he was so confused that he screamed into his pillow.

He had wanted to stop her, because God it's so hard to love someone and be intimate with them when you know they don't feel that way for you. He felt like he had absolutely no control over himself. She always made him feel that way, and it was amazing and horrible at the same time.

He wanted his love for her to go away, but he knew it never would. It doesn't matter if they grow apart someday and have families, because he knew there's no way he would ever feel this way about anyone else in the entire world.

Then his phone buzzed. Lydia's calling.


	37. Phone Call

"What's up?" He asked into the phone, sitting up and putting his arm around his knees. She was silent on the other end. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to talk to you." She replies, and he breathes out a sigh of relief. He was nervous of course, but he was glad she called. He thought she was mad at him, but he realized he was overreacting and his Dad walking in on them had just scared her.

"If this is about earlier, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry about my dad, that was...beyond embarrassing." He laughed nervously, gulping as he twirled his finger around a loose thread on his scrubs. He still hadn't changed out of them.

"It's not about that. Well, not exactly." She said quietly, and he could picture exactly what she looked like right now. In her bed, under her blanket, biting her lip. He wanted to be there. "It's...about us."

"What about us?" He asks, feeling his palms starting to sweat. He wasn't expecting this right now. He was expecting it months from now, because that's always how Lydia dealt with something uncomfortable. She would put it off until it wasn't awkward to talk about it anymore, and they could laugh about it. Her bringing this up now, right after the incident, threw him off a little.

"We kissed. We did a lot more than that actually, and it would've gone God knows how much farther if…" She sighed, and he pictures her putting her hand against her forehead. "I just wanted to ask what you thought about it is all."

He felt trapped. Nothing he could say right now would be what she wanted to hear, or what he wanted to say to her.

"What do you think about it?" He asked, dodging her cornering tactics.

"I think…" She started to say, gulping. His heart is pounding. "That you were right earlier. We're both stupid, horny teenagers and we're just around each other too much. It was bound to happen sometime, right? I'm just glad it was stopped before it went too far. I don't want anything to ruin our friendship."

That was actually the exact opposite of what he was going to say. He wouldn't have actually told her he wanted to make out and do other things with her, but he wasn't going to say what she said. He gulped.

"Oh yeah, definitely. I was going to say the exact same thing." He laughed, burying his face in a pillow. He thought this was his big break. She had kissed him first, after all. But that meant something different to them, and he should have known that.

"Great, I'm glad we're on the same page." She laughed, and he could tell she was relieved. That hurt.

"Mhmm. Me too." He replied, trying not to sound disappointed.

"Earlier was so embarrassing." She laughed, changing the subject. He was pretty glad about that, too.

"I know. I'm so sorry. My dad just…I don't know. He doesn't know how to punish me after mom died. I'm sorry." He laughed softly, staring up at his ceiling.

"Don't be. It's not a problem, I just hope that never happens again." She laughed too, and he smiled even bigger.

"Me neither." He laughed awkwardly, and there was a short silence between them.

"What are you doing? I wish you were here. I don't want to wait until Friday to see you." She whispered into the phone, and his heart pounded again.

"I'm just laying here. I don't want to wait either." He answered, gulping.

"I miss you." She said quietly, and he smiled. There was only a moment of silence, before she spoke again. "That's kind of ridiculous, huh? It's only been an hour."

"It's not ridiculous," He laughed, his cheeks hurting from his constant smile. "And I miss you too."

They found a movie playing on TV, and both went to the same channel and watched. They talked to each other about it and laughed, and they decided that this was just about the closest they'd be able to get to each other until Friday. Stiles was pretty sure this was against the rules too, but his dad never specifically said they couldn't talk on the phone, so he figured that would be his excuse if they got caught.

They fell asleep on the phone together. He guessed it was probably about one in the morning when they both drifted off, watching some foreign film.

He woke up late the next morning. During the night his phone had died, so the alarm never went off. He jumped out of bed, and got ready as fast as he possibly could.

When he got in the car, he almost made the turn to go to Lydia's house. He had forgotten he wasn't allowed to see her until Friday, and that crushed him. This day is going to suck, and he already knew it.

"So…why can't you see each other again?" Scott asks, narrowing his eyes as they push through the doors of the school.

"They walked in on us….you know." Stiles shrugs, adjusting the straps on his backpack.

"Mom walked in on me and Kira one time. We were just making out, but it was so embarrassing. I couldn't look her in the eye for a week." Scott laughed, and then patted his back. "It's okay, though, man. It happens."

"I know, just...God, it sucks. I felt so bad for Lydia." He told Scott, sitting behind him in class.

"It'll all blow over." Scott turns to look at him with a smile. "Besides, Friday isn't bad. That's tomorrow."

"I know but I'm so petty." Stiles sighed, and put his forehead against the desk. "I miss her."

"That'll die down after a few months. Not that I don't miss Kira literally all the time, but it isn't painful to not see her for a few hours anymore. We're both used to it." He shrugs, and Stiles sighs.

"I feel like I could die." Stiles moans pitifully, and then the teacher walks in.

"It'll be okay, I promise. Just one more day." Scott smiles, and then turns around.

"Yeah. Just one more day." He breathed in, and decided to actually focus on school for once so he wouldn't have to think about Lydia.


	38. (Almost) Reunited

"Do you want to hang out at my house today?" Scott asks, walking next to Stiles on the way to their vehicles. "Me and Kira were just going to go over some Biology homework. You can tag along if you want."

"No, it's alright." Stiles breathes in, leaning against a random car that's parked next to Scott's bike. "I have some homework I need to do too."

"Are you sure? We love having you around." Scott insists, but Stiles doesn't want to intrude on their time together.

"No, bro, it's okay. I've gotten a little behind in homework anyway." Stiles admitted, but Scott wasn't paying attention now. He was looking behind Stiles.

"What are you looking at?" Stiles laughs, turning around to catch a glimpse. He immediately spotted Lydia. She was pretty far away, but he noticed the dark circles around her eyes, and she was yawning. She even dropped a coffee onto the pavement on her way out. She wasn't the normal, confident, glowing Lydia; she seemed completely disoriented. It was weird seeing her this way.

Stiles started to move towards her, but Scott grabbed his arm.

"Dude. Don't." Scott warned, knowing there were too many witnesses. His dad could find out, and Stiles knew he would make it a week that they couldn't see each other, and he'd probably tell Lydia's mom. He couldn't risk that. "It's not worth the consequences.

"I know. She just...something's wrong." Stiles gulped, still watching her. She tied her hair back with frustration, as she leaned down and picked up her spilled coffee cup.

"She looks like she hasn't gotten any sleep." Scott whispered, and even though it was impossible, it seemed like Lydia had heard them, because her eyes shot up and glanced at Scott, and then stared at Stiles. She gave a small smile, looking exhausted. He smiled back and waved, and just then someone bumped into her and knocked her books out of her hands.

"That guy just ran right into her!" Stiles threw his hands in the air, and Scott grabbed his arm, stopping him again.

"If I know anything about Lydia it's that she can take care of herself." Scott assured him, and Stiles relaxed some. "Besides, the guy seems nice enough. He's helping her."

"Yeah, you're right." Stiles' muscles loosened, and he breathed out. He watched as Lydia and the guy smiled at each other, and Lydia looked down and blushed at something he said. That sparked jealousy in him, and he hated himself for it.

"I have to go. See you tomorrow." Stiles turned away so he didn't have to see Lydia anymore, and walked towards his Jeep.

"Okay, bye. Remember we're meeting at my house right after school." Scott yelled after him through the parking lot, and Stiles lifted his hand in a way to silently say 'I'll be there'.

A few hours passed that he had been just laying in bed, trying to do homework. That mostly just consisted of him staring at a wall, thinking of Lydia. Eventually he kicked his books off of his bed, groaned loudly, and sprawled out across his sheets, completely bored out of his skull. He wanted to talk to Lydia, but he wanted her to call first. He wanted to know that she wanted to talk to him, so he wasn't going to make the first move.

He watched TV until it was dark, and then he went downstairs and sat on a stool while he made a sandwich for dinner. He stared out the window at nothing, as he chewed his food. All he could think about was how much he missed her.

He knew he was in huge trouble. He figured they would still hang out after the 'Big Reveal' but it would never be like it is now. And how the hell is he going to be able to survive that if he can't even survive one day? He always knew this wouldn't turn out well, but he had grown so attached to her over the past week, that he couldn't even imagine not being able to kiss her and hug her and cuddle with her. He felt like puking.

His phone started buzzing, suddenly forcing him to snap out of his thoughts and almost fall off of his chair with surprise. His hands shook as he shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled his phone out. Lydia.

"Hey." She said into the phone, and he instantly smiled like an idiot and started tracing his fingertips on the granite countertop.

"Hey, Lyd." He replied, hoping she couldn't tell he was smiling. He got on the counter and laid on it, staring up at the ceiling with a huge grin on his face. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to know...what time are we meeting at Scott's tomorrow? I'm so nervous." She laughed, and he closed his eyes.

"We're meeting after school. I'm going to go home and get dressed afterwards, so I can just pick you up at your house on my way to Scott's." He tells her, and then quickly adds: "If you want."

"No, that sounds great." She laughed, and sighed. "So how are we going to tell them?"

"I have no idea. I'm scared." He admits, gulping.

"I am too." She whispers back, followed by a pretty long silence.

"Scott's going to hate me. I know he will." Stiles tells her, feeling the back of his eyes stinging from the formation of tears.

"He won't. He won't, Stiles. If he hates anyone it's going to be me." She answered, trying to console him. "You should hate me too."

"What are you talking about?" He asks, sitting up.

"I'm talking about how I convinced you to do this. You told me it wasn't a good idea and I didn't listen. I hate myself for it." She cried, and he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Jesus, Lydia. You think I blame you?" He asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose. She didn't answer. "It's fine, okay? Really. I'm not mad at you."

"I just...I thought it would be funny. I feel sick, Stiles. They're so happy." She cried, sniffing. He wanted to make her feel better. His chest hurt. "We're lying to them."

"It's okay. It's only been a week, Lyd, alright? They're not too used to the idea. It'll be fine. Besides, it's not like we're alone. We're in this together, okay?" He assures her, and hears her sniffling through the phone.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. They'll probably have forgotten all about this in two weeks." She laughs, trying to convince them both.

"Exactly." He replies, laying down and splaying his arm across his chest. "Hey, what was up with you earlier? You looked kind of...out of it."

"Oh, um..nothing. I'm just tired is all." She laughed, and it hurt his feelings that something is wrong and she won't tell him. Not that he has ever told her what's really going on with him, but still.

"Okay, good. I was worried about you."

"Don't be. I'm fine." She laughed again, but it sounded even faker this time.

"That's really convincing." He replied sarcastically, and she sighed on the other end.

"Don't, Stiles." She whispered, and he bit the inside of his cheek. He knew what it was. The stress from tomorrow had really been getting to her, and not letting her sleep.

"I know." He answered, taking a deep breath. "I know, sorry."

"No, you don't." She laughs quietly, and he knows she's crying again. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but she cut him off. "I really need to go. I need sleep."

"Okay. Call if you need anything." He tells her, and she agrees to it.

"Bye." He told her, and she barely whispered it back before she hung up.

Now he was laying on the kitchen countertop, even worse off than he was before she called. There's something wrong, and he didn't know what. She's hurting.

He picked up his phone again, and his heart pounded as it dialed her number.

"Stiles, it's getting late…" She immediately said, but he was determined.

"I know, Lyd. I miss you, though, like friggin' crazy. Will you meet me somewhere? The park on Gateway?" He asks, running his fingers through his hair, waiting for a response.

"What about your dad?" She asks, but he's still hopeful.

"He won't know. Come on, Lydia. I'm going insane over here." He added, biting his cheek. There was a brief hesitation.

"Yeah." She replied, and he smiled so big that his cheeks started to hurt. "I'll meet you at the swings in twenty minutes."

"Okay. See ya there." He answered, and then hung up. He actually pumped his fist in the air with excitement, which was really embarrassing even though there was no one around to see it.

He gets to see Lydia.


	39. Park Date

"Hey." Lydia smiled, slowly moving back and forth on a squeaky swing as he approached. She holds out two tumbler cups, and shrugs as she looks at his. "I guess great minds really do think alike."

"Hot chocolate?" He smiles, looking down at the ones he's holding. She nods and laughs, so he sets his down on the ground as he sits in a swing beside her. She hands him one of hers, and they both stare at the kids slide in front of them as they take small sips of their drinks. It was pretty dark outside, but there was a light on the other side of the park, letting them see each other.

"So you've missed me like crazy, huh?" Lydia smiles, knocking her elbow playfully against his. She still looked exhausted, he noticed, but still just as beautiful as ever.

"Yeah. I really have." He laughed, and turned to look at her. She was expecting him to be embarrassed and deny it, but he was tired of being embarrassed about his feelings. It's exhausting.

He leaned his head on the chain of the swing, and smiled as he watched the visible air come from Lydia's lips in the cool air.

"I missed you too." She admitted, mirroring his movements until her own head was pressed against the chain, and they were only inches away from each other. She used her free hand to find his, and linked theirs together. "I missed you the second I left, actually."

"Me too. I mean I missed you the second you left too." He laughed, shaking his head. She just smiled, and bumped her shoe against his. They were silent for a moment.

"You know, I told myself I would never get close enough to someone to where I would miss them every second of every day. Whether that be someone I date, or even a friend like you. I thought it was ridiculous that people did that. I didn't realize that it's not in my control. Or anyone's, for that matter. It makes me feel weak or something." She admits, looking down at the ground as she bites her lip.

"Being close to someone makes me stronger, I feel like. It's just the way you choose to look at it, Lyd." He tells her, squeezing her hand.

"I guess so." She smiles, and looks at him again. "What do you think would happen if your dad found out we broke his rules?"

"He would tell your mom. And then I'm not sure from there. Probably something pretty bad." He laughs, uneasy at the thought.

"She would kill me." Lydia laughs, shaking her head. "It would be worth it, though. I couldn't sleep last night without you." She admitted reluctantly, looking up at him.

"Is that why you were…"

"Why I was so out of it at school today? Yeah." She laughed, starting to slowly swing again. "I got probably less than two hours. And even that was off and on."

"Maybe it wasn't me, you know? I have those kinds of nights sometimes too." He looked at her, swallowing thickly.

"The only reason I even slept those two hours is because I got up and went through the laundry until I found your pajamas." She told him, and then looked away like she was mad at herself for admitting that. He wasn't sure what to say. He felt like he was going to burst, actually.

"You're probably right, though." She suddenly laughed, shaking her head. This was such a Lydia thing to do. She revealed any personal feelings, and then immediately regretted it and tried to cover it. "It was most likely just one of those nights. I'm sure it'll be better tonight."

"I hope so. I don't want to have to watch you spill coffee all over yourself again." He laughs it off, even though he doesn't feel like laughing at all. She's trying so hard to not let him see her feelings, and it hurts because he thought they were past this point. He wasn't sure what to do anymore.

"That was so incredibly embarrassing." She laughs, covering her face.

"I wanted to come help you so bad. Scott didn't think it was a good idea to interact with you with so many people around." He laughs too, swinging at her pace. He could barely feel his nose or his fingers anymore.

"It's fine. I managed." She laughed quietly, aimlessly kicking dirt around.

"Who was that guy that helped?" He asked, looking ahead at the grass, trying not to show much interest.

"Tanner Berkley." She looks up and smiles, and he tries to breathe. "He's so cute. I'm thinking about...asking him out when this is all over."

"Oh yeah?" He smiles, trying to look happy for her. She scans his face and looks away.

"Yeah." She nods, looking up at the stars. "He's sweet."

"We should probably get home, okay? You need sleep, and so do I." He stands up, and grabs his cups. He just wanted that conversation to be over. "We need to prepare ourselves for tomorrow. Get good sleep and everything."

"Oh, I forgot." She laughs, shaking her head. "You're right."

"Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." He tells her, watching her pick up her cups too. "Oh, and we probably shouldn't tell Scott and Kira about this little meetup. The less people know the better."

"Mhmm. Definitely." She nods, walking beside him. They both stop when they get to his Jeep. He leans against it, and she holds one of hishands

"So...I guess this is sort of the end of our relationship." He gives his best smile, and hopes it doesn't look as fake as it feels.

"Our dating relationship, not our friendship relationship." She corrects, and he nods and laughs. "And not yet. We still have almost a day left."

"You've been a great fake girlfriend." He smiles and gulps, thinking about how much he doesn't want this to end as he twirls his finger around one of her curls.

"You've been a great fake boyfriend." She replies quietly with a smile, and leans in closer.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" He asks, feeling her cold fingers press against his waist.

"Not even close." She laughs, glancing down at his lips. She takes a sharp breath, before she lightly presses her lips against his. It felt like heaven with her warm lips pressed against his cold ones. She kissed him so softly and genuinely, and he dreaded the end of it.

He held her face, and kissed her back just as gently. He wasn't sure what this kiss is for, but he knew this was going to be one of the last times it would happen, and he wasn't going to take it for granted. Not this time.

Before he knew it, it was over. He slowly blinked his eyes open, and looked at her. This is complete torture.

"I'll miss that." She smiled, and pressed her forehead against his. He closed his eyes again, because this is so hard to take, especially looking at her. "You're such a great kisser."

"You...you are too." He stutters, and then swallows thickly.

"I need sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She smiled and her lips lingered against his cheek with a kiss, before turning and walking to her car. They waved at each other, and got in their vehicles.

His heart pounds the whole way home, and all night, and this time he's the one who can't sleep. Not for a second.


	40. Preperation

Today is the day, he thought, over and over again before the last bell rang. He breathed in deeply, and pushed his way through the hallway and into the parking lot. He didn't think he could do it. He's been exhausted and terrified and fidgety all day.

"What's wrong? Shouldn't you be excited that you're allowed to see Lydia now?" Scott asked, jogging up next to him.

"I am. I'm just not feeling great is all." Stiles laughed, even though he knew Scott knew he was lying.

He was digging in his pocket for his keys and yawning, when Lydia ran up to him and pushed him against the Jeep out of nowhere. She kissed him and smiled, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up. His shoulders were pressed uncomfortably against the side of his Jeep, but he barely even noticed.

"Missed you." She laughed, and gently rubbed her nose against his as he set her feet back down on the ground. It was weird trying to pretend that they hadn't just secretly met up last night.

"Missed you too." He whispered, and she laughed as he nuzzled his nose against her cheek. It was disgustingly sappy, but he loved it.

"Sorry to interrupt," Scott laughed, and Lydia laid her head on Stiles' chest and circled her finger against his neck while she listened. "But we're all meeting at my house in half an hour. I'll see you guys then."

"See you, Scott." Stiles told him, and Scott laughed and shook his head as Lydia pulled Stiles back down to kiss her again.

"Mhmm. Bye, Scott." She sighed, and then started making out with Stiles again until Scott was out of sight.

"I'm so scared." She whispered as she pulled away and set her head against his chest.

"Let's not think about it right now, okay?" He replies, kissing the top of her head. She looks at him and nods, swallowing thickly. Her nervousness was easy to see. "I'll come pick you up at your house in a few minutes. Try to think about something else in the meantime."

"Okay. Bye." She smiles and kisses his cheek. She looks at him for a second, and then pulls him down so she can fully kiss him on the lips. It wasn't like how she kissed him a few minutes ago, it was more like when she kissed him last night beside his Jeep. Slow, tender, beautiful. He felt a lump in his throat when he started to realize that this might just be the last time he ever kisses her.

"Our time for being able to do that is limited." She smiled at him, before turning and walking to her car. It took him a few seconds to snap out of his shock, but when he did, he got in his Jeep and drove home. No music, just completely deafening silence.

He knew that this week was going to go by fast, but not this fast. Now everything is falling apart at once. He won't be able to fake date Lydia anymore, and he'll have to face Scott, Kira, and Liam. Even Melissa is going to be disappointed in him. The brief happiness fake dating Lydia gave him wasn't going to be worth it, and he wished he would have known that before.

He turned his feelings off as best as he could, and did what he needed to do. He grabbed extra clothes, his pillow, and a root beer from the fridge on the way out.

"That was quick." Lydia looked at him through her mirror as she fixed her hair, and then turned around to fully look at him. He had let himself into her house. It was routine now. "I just have to find an outfit really fast, and then we can go. You can just sit down."

"Okay." He replied, falling back against her bed. She walked around her bedroom in a robe, and then dropped it when she got to her closet. She was only wearing a bra and underwear, and her skin was beautiful and silky, and he wanted to run his fingers against it.

"This one…" She asked, holding up sweater and a skirt. Then she tossed those onto the floor, and picked up something else. Another sweater and black skinny jeans. "Or this one?"

"Just wear a hoodie and sweatpants. It's more comfortable. And warmer." He smiled up at her, and wrapped his legs around her waist so she couldn't move. She half-laughed, half-groaned, throwing that outfit onto the floor along with the other.

"But a hoodie and sweatpants isn't as cute." She complained, tilting her head.

"But," He sat up, and pulled her onto the bed. "It's warmer. You'll thank me later. And anyway, you look cute whatever outfit you're in."

"I know." She rolled her eyes, grinning, which made him laugh. He brushed her hair out of her face as she propped her chin on his chest.

"Good." He smiled at her, and she bit her lip and sat up. She was straddling his waist as he laid on the bed, looking down at him.

"So...What's the plan?" She asked, her eyes lingering on the ties of his hoodie, before glancing up to his eyes.

"I'm not sure. I guess we should just sit them down, and tell them we have something important to say. I'll tell them." He gulps, terrified at the thought.

"No way. It was my idea; I'm not letting you take the fall." Her eyebrows furrowed, and he sat up.

"Stop with the 'it was my idea' thing, okay?! No one's to blame. I'll do it." He told her, looking in her eyes.

"No, you won't." She retorted angrily, pushing off of him and going to dig through her dresser. She pulls a chunky sweater on over her head, and then held onto her dresser as she pulled on her sweatpants.

"Come on, don't be mad at me. I'm just trying to help." He sighed, walking up to her. She dodged him, and huffed angrily as she made her way to the bathroom. Right before she shut the door, he put his hand against it and stopped her. He pushed it all the way open, and she rolled her eyes as he stepped in.

He knew why she was angry with him. If this was her trying to take all of the blame for it, he'd be furious with her.

"Leave me alone." She crossed her arms, sighing loudly.

"No! Jesus Christ, Lydia, we can't be mad at each other right now. We need to stick together, because God knows how they'll react to this. I might not have anyone but you for a while, and I'll have no one if we keep fighting over this petty stuff." He raised his voice, and her jaw clenched.

"You're right, you idiot, but stop yelling at me!" She replied, her fiery hair matching her emotions.

"Okay. I'm sorry." He breathed out, and so did she. Soon after that, they looked at each other and started laughing.

"We're being stupid." She smiled, shaking her head.

"I know. We'll tell them together, okay?" He scanned her face, and she nodded.

"Yeah. Definitely." She took in a sharp breath, and grabbed his hand in hers.

"Let's get to Scott's. We're going to be late. Again." Stiles laughed, and they both looked at each other with fear, before walking out the door.

They both knew that this is going to be the end of a lot of things, and he wasn't ready for it. Not at all.


	41. The Truth

"You're late." Scott laughs, guiding Stiles and Lydia to the table where Kira and Liam were laughing and eating chips with cards in their hands.

"Mmph, you guys are finally here!" Kira laughs, covering her mouth so her chips don't fall out. "We're playing bullshit. I'm winning."

"What? I won twice, you won once." Liam accuses, and she bumps his arm and laughs.

"Come on guys, come play." Scott grins enthusiastically, and Stiles and Lydia look at each other with unease before sliding into chairs at the table.

They played about three games, and it actually took their mind off of what they knew was about to happen. When the third game was over, Lydia gave him that look that made his smile disappear immediately. He gulped.

"Lyd, do you want to go grab some snacks from the kitchen really quick?" Stiles pulls out of his chair and stands up, and Lydia nods and stands up too.

"Mhmm." She replies, lacing her fingers with his as they go into the kitchen.

"Hey, grab some more chips while you're in there!" Liam yelled as they walked out.

They were in the kitchen now, and Stiles is leaning against the counter, riddled with fear. He's tapping his finger against the granite countertop incessantly.

"It's time." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"I know. Just...It might go better than expected, okay? Just expect the worst. It'll have to be better than that." He sighed, and she gave a small smile.

"Very helpful, Stiles." She laughed, shaking her head. He laughed too, and pulled her into a hug.

"If they do get mad, it'll be over in a few days, okay? We're just...being dramatic. It'll be fine." He kissed her forehead, and then she pulled away and wiped her eyes as she nodded.

"Ready then?" She smiles weakly, looking in his eyes. He nods, and she breathes in, and turns around.

"Lydia." He whispers, and grabs her hand, turning her around. He held her hand and then cupped her cheek with his free hand. And then kissed her. It was filled with love and passion, but mostly desperation. Desperation for one last kiss.

She relaxed and put her arms around his neck, kissing him back with just as much fire. When she finally pulled away to catch her breath, her eyebrows were furrowed with confusion, as if she hadn't just kissed him back for twenty seconds.

"I had to do that one more time." He gives a small smile, and she nods and smiles back like she understood.

"Come on." She breathes in, and grabs his hand. His was sweaty, but so was hers.

They walked into the kitchen, both of their hearts pounding rapidly. He felt like he was going to pass out on this floor right here and now. He couldn't breathe.

"Hey, you didn't get the chips!" Liam complained, sitting up.

"Wait! Wait, Liam." Lydia's voice shakes, and that raises Scott and Kira's heads too. Now they're all staring at Stiles and Lydia standing there holding hands, and probably looking scared to death. "We need to tell you guys something."

"It's something big, so...just please don't freak out." Stiles says quietly, and Scott smiled slightly.

"Oh my God...are you engaged? Did you propose?" Scott asks, looking happy and hopeful. That broke Stiles' heart.

"What?! No - Why the hell does everyone think that?" Stiles huffs, looking down at the floor.

"Everyone? Who else?" Lydia whispered, looking at him. Stiles shook it off, silently saying 'I'll tell you later'.

"Well what then? Are you moving in together?" Scott smiles, propping his chin on his hand. "Wait. Are you pregnant, Lyd? Oh God, can I be called Uncle Scott?!"

"Scott, no, just...just listen." Stiles scratches the back of his neck with his free hand, and is slightly horrified at Scott's excitement of all of this. He had to tell him. "Me and Lydia…we..."

"I walked in on Stiles masturbating." Lydia blurted out loudly, interrupting him. He was actually in pure shock right now for multiple reasons. He looked at her, and his mouth dropped open.

Silence. He felt like panicking.

"Um...okay?" Liam narrows his eyes, speaking out what everyone else in the room wanted to say.

"Wow. That's a let down." Scott laughed, shaking his head. Stiles' mouth is still open in complete and utter shock.

"I just said that to say...we've been having problems since then. It's awkward." She laughs, licking her lips nervously. He had no idea why she diverted the conversation to something completely unrelated. They were so close to telling them too. "We need advice."

"I've walked in on Stiles masturbating more times than I can count." Scott laughs, Stiles' face heats up, and Liam groans and slams his head against the table.

"I've walked in on Scott." Kira pushes her lips together, trying not to laugh.

"It's true. She has." Scott shook his head, laughing. "Although it didn't end awkwardly for us."

"Wow, okay guys, I'm still here." Liam raises his hand, looking around. Everyone ignored him.

"Okay, thanks. We're fine, really, we just wanted to know if that was...normal or not." Lydia laughed, looking at Stiles. He was so humiliated.

"Oh yeah. You know some couples get off right beside each other and just watch the other." Scott nods, and Liam yells 'lalalala' and covers his ears.

"Hmm. Maybe we should try that." Lydia grins, just to gross Liam out even more. She laughs at his disgust. "But that's all we wanted to ask. Thank you guys."

"Are you sure that's it?" Scott asked, obviously confused.

"Mhmm. It was just embarrassing, is all." Lydia laughs, squeezing Stiles' hand.

"Yeah. We'll go grab your chips, Liam, and then we can finish the game." Stiles smiles, and pulls Lydia back into the kitchen.

"Lydia what in the hell was that?!" He whispers loudly, putting his elbows on the cold counter and covering his face with his hands.

"I'm sorry, Stiles. I'm so sorry. I know we were close, but they were just so excited, and I…God, they thought we were engaged. Or pregnant." She half laughs, half cries, and he turns around and looks at her. She's sobbing hysterically now, and he wraps his arms tightly around her. "I'm sorry. I ruined it, Stiles, but I didn't mean to."

"I know. It's okay. We'll just tell them tomorrow. Don't worry about it." He sighed, kissing her forehead, and then the top of her head.

"We were so freaking close." She cried, gripping his hoodie.

"We'll tell them. It's fine, Lydia. Seriously." He laughed, trying to lighten the heavy mood as he rubbed her back.

"Okay. We'll tell them tomorrow." She pulled away, and he helped her wipe away her tears. "Definitely."

"Yeah. Definitely tomorrow." He assured her, smiling. She took in a shaky breath, and nodded. "Now we can just relax today, and not think about it. Have fun."

"You're right." She smiled weakly, and looked at the floor. "Let's go play that stupid card game."

"Hey, there's the cynical Lydia I know." He laughs, and she finally gives a real smile.

"Come on, idiot. And we can't forget Liam's chips this time. We kind of owe that to him." She laughed, and he groaned and covered his face.

"Out of all of the alternative options you could have chosen from, you chose to pick walking in on me masturbating. Thank you so much, Lydia, it was a real dream come true to have all of my friends imagining that at the same time." He said sarcastically, and she bit her lip, trying to hold back a smile.

"I'm sorry, it was the only thing I could think of! I had very little time to come up with something, and it was the first thing that popped into my head." She gave him an apologetic look, and then he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"So you're saying that the thought of me masturbating is the first thing that popped into your head? So you must think about it a lot then, yeah?" He asks, putting his finger on his chin, faking to be deep in thought.

"Shut up." She laughed, pushing his shoulder. Her cheeks were tinted with red. "It was just the first horrific thing that popped into my head, is why."

"Oh. I definitely believe that then. Makes sense." He nods, sarcastically acting like it was all clear now.

"God, you're such an ass sometimes." She laughs again, shaking her head. "I don't think about it, anyway. I've blocked it out of my mind as much as I can."

"I doubt that." He winks at her with a playful smile, and then turns around and walks to Scott's pantry to grab some chips. "Ready to be liars again?"

"I guess so." She sighs, and walks beside him as they go back into the dining room.


	42. Crush

**This was a last minute decision to upload today, so I hope you like it!  
**

* * *

"Ha! I win again." Lydia grins, and Stiles rolls his eyes and sets his cards on the table.

"I won every single time before you got here." Liam whines, crunching down on his chips with annoyance.

"Stop being such a baby, Liam." Lydia laughed, reaching across the table to ruffle his hair. "I'm winning fair and square."

"She's just smarter than all of us." Kira laughs, shuffling the deck of cards again.

"Who's hungry? I'm tired of losing and it's about time for dinner." Scott laughs, standing up and rubbing his stomach.

"I'm always hungry." Stiles laughed, putting his arm around Lydia.

"Me too." Liam agreed, and so did Lydia and Kira.

They took about ten minutes to finally decide on what kind of food they were going to get, which was Indian. Scott and Kira offered to pick it up.

"So what have you been up to, Liam? How's school?" Lydia asks, settling in next to Stiles on the couch.

"Um, it's pretty good." He nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "I have all A's, which I'm happy about. So is my mom."

"I bet." Lydia laughed, and Liam smiled.

"I think he's crushing on you." Stiles turns and whispers in her ear, and she rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

"Shut up, Stiles." Liam says, blushing. "I am not."

"Sorry. Forgot about the whole 'super werewolf' hearing thing you have going on." Stiles laughs awkwardly, and Lydia sighs at his idiocy.

"I'm really not." Liam looked at Lydia, still blushing.

"I believe you. It's fine." She laughed, but Stiles' mouth was hung open.

"Oh my God. You so are! Holy shit, Liam, you've got the hots for Lyd." Stiles accuses, laughing. He was joking at first, but now he's beginning to think he really does. "That's why you hate me so much, right? You want to bone her! You blush every time she talks to you!"

"God, Stiles, don't be such a guy!" Lydia pushes him angrily, and clenches her jaw.

"Lydia's beautiful, okay? But I don't like her like that! I blush because she's pretty, so what? That's not a crime." He replies, throwing his hands in the air. He stands up and walks outside, slamming the door on his way out.

"Jesus Christ, Stiles, what the hell is wrong with you?! You're being such a complete jerk!" She yells, standing up.

"I'm just messing with him!" He retorts, standing up too. "I don't get the big deal!"

"You don't?" She turns around to look at him, and pokes her finger painfully against his chest. "Because I remember you getting blushy and embarrassed and angry whenever someone accused you of liking me. It's not fun to be messed with like that. That's exactly why we're pulling this stupid, shitty prank in the first place! And God, what does it matter to you if he likes me or not?!"

"It doesn't. I just...I guess...I didn't think about it like that." He whispers with shame, and looks at the floor.

"No shit! Go apologize to him right now." She crosses her arms, still furious at him.

"Do I have to?" He sighs, looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Yes! Now go!" She points to the door, her voice still raised with anger.

He hung his head down as he walks to the front door and steps out. Liam was on the second step down, pulling apart a leaf. Stiles sat down beside him, and Liam looked away from him.

"I'm sorry, Liam. I was being a jerk." He sighs, but Liam doesn't answer. "I know how embarrassing that is when you're the victim of the public humiliation thing. It's not fun. I just didn't think about it before I said it. I was being a real dick."

"Yeah. You were." Liam grumbled under his breath, and Stiles discreetly rolled his eyes.

"It won't happen again. I just really, really like her, and I guess I just get...jealous sometimes. That's embarrassing, I know, but I've never felt this way about someone before. That's not an excuse at all, seriously, but I just do stupid things when I'm not thinking." He admits, scratching the back of his neck. "And I don't blame you for thinking she's pretty. I think so too."

Liam laughed at that, and turned to look at him.

"I'm just not good at talking to girls, is all. That's why I'm like that around Lydia. So I'm sorry too." He whispered, and Stiles patted his back.

"Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything, I was just being an ass." Stiles told him, ruffling his hair. Liam laughed and shook his head. "And if you need any advice on girls, I can be your mentor."

"Oh yeah, I would definitely take advice from you." Liam replied with sarcasm, laughing.

"Hey, I got Lydia, didn't I?" Stiles laughs too, shrugging his shoulders. He made a mental note to tell Liam to go to Scott for girl advice after they reveal they aren't actually dating. He actually needed a mentor himself, so he was in no position to talk to someone else.

"Touché." Liam answers, and they both laugh. "She's really great. You don't deserve her." Liam says, and Stiles knows it wasn't in a mean way. It was just the truth.

"Yeah, I know." Stiles nods, agreeing with him. "I don't think anyone in the world does."

They sat there for a second in a comfortable silence, just thinking.

"Well come on, buddy." Stiles yawns, and stands up. "Scott should be here with the food soon."

He pushes the door open, and it hits something hard. He already knew it was Lydia.

"Very subtle, Lydia. Great sleuthing skills. Really." Stiles rolls his eyes and laughs, as Liam walks past and pretends that he hadn't just witnessed Lydia snooping on that embarrassing conversation.

Stiles turns and watches Liam grab the plates from a cabinet in the kitchen, and then suddenly Lydia turns his head to look at her. She kisses him. He had already accepted that they had had their last kiss, so this was a shock. The good kind.

She pulled him along by the strings of his hoodie as she backed herself against the wall. He propped his hands flat against it beside her head, and kissed her back.

Eventually she pulled away when they heard Kira's car door slam outside.

"Well...what was that for?" He whispers hoarsely and furrows his eyebrows, as he looks down at her lips. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't help himself.

"I heard what you said to Liam. About me." She looked down at the floor, and then up to his eyes again. "It was really sweet, Stiles, as untrue as it was."

"Wait - what part of that do you think is untrue?" He laughed with confusion, still breathless.

"The part where you...no one, I mean," She corrected herself, shaking her head. "The part where no one is good enough for me. I'm nothing special."

"You have to be k-" He starts to say, and then Scott and Kira stumbled into the house laughing, making Stiles and Lydia pull apart. They locked eyes for a second, and then silently both agreed to drop it.

"It's about time. I'm so hungry." Stiles laughs, rubbing his hands together impatiently as he sits down at the table. They all stuff their faces with as much as they can, and then head into the living room to start their weekly movie night.


	43. New Mission

**If you didn't see, I updated last night too! So if you missed that, you should read it before this one :)**

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"How is it already two A.M.? You're joking." Stiles looks at Liam, not believing his statement.

They had spent the rest of the night like they always do; watching movies and eating unhealthy snacks.

"I believe it. I haven't slept at all the past few nights," Lydia yawns, nuzzling her face against Stiles' chest sleepily. "So I could sleep for two days straight."

"Yeah, it's definitely bed time for me too." Kira admitted, rubbing her eyes.

"You guys can get the couch, and Liam can get that one he's on. Me and Kira will take the floor." Scott yawned, going upstairs to grab them all blankets.

Stiles and Lydia shifted their bodies from sitting to laying down, with her head on his chest and his arm around her side. A few minutes later Scott trudged down the stairs, and threw them all a blanket. Stiles sat up slightly to put it over him and Lydia, and then he fluffed up his pillow and made himself comfortable.

They all took a few minutes to settle in, and then turned the lights out. They said their good-night's, and Stiles knew that just having Lydia close guaranteed he would get good sleep.

Stiles was the first to wake up. Scott and Liam were snoring loudly, and Lydia was on top of him with her lips against his arm. She was breathing out hot gusts of air against his cool skin. It was actually kind of annoying how she still looked amazing while she slept. He was sure he must look like some deformed mutant.

He sat there and stared at the ceiling for probably more than twenty minutes, just thinking. This is the last day. Really this time.

Suddenly a loud noise erupted through the room, which made Stiles involuntarily jolt up.

"Ouch." Scott groaned hoarsely, and sat up rubbing his head because he had hit it on the coffee table. Slowly the rest of them started waking up from the noise. Stiles guessed it was at least noon by now.

"Mmm, that was probably the best sleep I've had in like two months." Lydia sighs contently, squinting her eyes open and smiling.

"Yeah, it would have been for me too, if you hadn't been talking in your sleep saying Stiles' name. Jesus Christ, it kept me up for so long." Scott laughed, rubbing the bump on his head.

"What?" Lydia sat up, laughing awkwardly. "I was not."

"Yeah, you were. I heard it too." Kira admitted, and Liam agreed with them. "It would have been really cute if I hadn't been dead tired."

"Oh, I'm…" Lydia gulped, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I felt like I was in a coma; I was really out of it."

She laughed it off, but Stiles could tell she was embarrassed. He couldn't help but be happy about that. It meant that her subconscious mind was thinking about him, and that had to mean something good, right?

"No big deal." Liam yawned and stretched, running his fingers through his hair as he sat up. "It was pretty quiet. Most of the time."

"Yeah, it went on for like, an hour." Kira laughed, turning on her phone. The longer they talked about it, the more embarrassed Lydia became. Finally the subject changed. "It's 12:48."

"Really?" Scott asked, looking at his own phone to check himself. "Whoa."

"What?" Kira asks, noticing his seriousness. Stiles suddenly sat up, alert.

"I've gotten a ton of missed calls from Deaton. It could be serious. I'll be right back." Scott looks at them, and then walks outside to talk on the phone.

They all look at each other, worried, and then start putting up all of the blankets just to have something to do. Kira and Liam paced around the kitchen worried to death, and Stiles and Lydia sat back down on the couch.

"So you were dreaming about me, huh?" Stiles whispered, trying to change the subject to calm their nerves.

"It was an act," She rolled her eyes, biting her lip. "That's all it was."

"Yeah right, Lydia. I can tell when you're lying and when you're telling the truth." He smiles smugly, and she sighs with annoyance. "Why are you embarrassed, anyway? Have a dream about us sexing it up?"

"I will never have a wet dream about someone who uses the term 'sexing it up'." She laughs, shaking her head. He laughed too, and poked her in the side.

"Mhmm. Keep telling yourself that." He shrugged with a sigh, giving her a hard time.

"Okay, you want to hear the truth?" She asks, and he turns to her and nods with anticipation. "It started out with me in my bed. I was just watching TV and doing homework after school, and then you walked into my room. You just came over to hang out, so you laid in bed with me for a while. And then somehow we were naked, and you were on top of me, screwing me senseless. Our bodies were hot and sweaty and writhing with pleasure for hours and hours." She sighed like she was imagining it.

He obviously knew she was being sarcastic, but he couldn't make himself joke back. They would usually have witty banter where he went along with her obscure stories, but she went way too far this time and he couldn't even make himself crack a smile. Her smile faded when she saw that he wasn't in on the joke, and they stared at each other. He swallowed thickly.

Suddenly Scott burst back into the house, making Lydia and Stiles jolt and snap out of their tension-filled staring session.

"There's another monster in town. Deaton needs us."


	44. Explanation

"We're not exactly sure what it is yet." Scott sighed, flipping through the bestiary but coming up with nothing. They were all sitting on the couch trying to figure out what this thing could be.

"How are we going to find it if we don't have anything on it? This could just be some serial killer or something." Stiles told him, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's not, Stiles. I have a feeling this thing is bad. The only thing we know is that it kills people. Not only that, but It leaves them completely empty. Like...like it eats them. Not them, physically, but their soul or something. The only survivor was George Harp. He's fifty-seven, and claimed that this thing looked like his wife, and it was kissing him."

"So...?" Liam questioned, voicing everyone else's thoughts.

"His wife has been dead for three years." Scott told them, and they all gasped at the same time.

"Exactly." Scott sighed, still flipping through the book.

"He's pretty old, Scott. It might not mean anything." Stiles said, but Scott shook his head.

"It does. It means something, I know it. Look, this guy's description of what was happening to him happened to three other people this week. They all died of pneumonia, but had no trace of it even the day before. They just randomly dropped dead. We can't know for sure what those people saw, but George said that it looked like his wife, but he knew it wasn't her. Something was off, and that's what snapped him out of it. He pulled away from his 'wife', and he said that...he said she just looked at him for a second, and then screamed and ran. He went after her, but she was gone. Just disappeared." Scott told them, and they all went silent.

"So..." Kira cleared her throat, all of them feeling weird and upset. Lydia laid her head on Stiles' shoulder. "What makes this guy different than the others? Why did this thing let him live?"

"I'm not sure." Scott replied, looking around at all of them. "Deaton thinks that if the 'spell' or whatever it is breaks, then they can't hurt you. So once he snapped out of it, it couldn't drain him anymore. He said he's felt empty since then, though, like something is missing in him."

"Okay, so it eats their soul? That should definitely narrow it down to the non-mythical mythical creature category." Stiles answered, finally starting to think they could be onto something.

"Yeah, but Deaton says he's never seen anything like this. He thinks it uses love as a weapon." Scott tells him, and Stiles nods.

"Okay, so what's the plan then?" Liam asks, rubbing his hands together.

"I...don't know. I'm not sure what we can do. Deaton is doing some research, so he told us he would call if-" Scott gets interrupted by a phone call. "Wow. It's Deaton again." He laughed, and answered the phone.

"This is crazy." Lydia whispers to Stiles, nudging his arm with her elbow.

"I know. This has to be some kind of folklore creature, you know? That's insane." He replied, trying to pretend like one of those hadn't possessed him before.

"He said he has a lead on what this thing could be and how to stop it. We should head over there." Scott told them, grabbing his jacket.

They all rushed outside, and Stiles, Lydia, and Liam all jammed into the backseat of Kira's car.

"Did he tell you anything?" Liam asked, leaning in so his head was between the two front seats.

"No. He said he would tell us when we got there." Scott answered, making a turn.

"When you were possessed," Lydia whispered, turning to look at him. "That was the only time I was scared of you. It looked like you, and it felt like you, but...it was wrong. I mean...it looked like you, but it didn't at all."

"I remember it. I remember what I did to everyone. All of the things I said to you. I guess I never apologized." He gulped, and she held his hand.

"It wasn't you. Don't apologize for something you didn't do, okay?" She gave a small smile, and pinched his arm playfully.

"Yeah, but–" he sighed, and then she kissed him. She made a habit out of kissing him when he wouldn't be quite. Her lips were cold but soft, and it was only a brief kiss.

"Shut up, Stiles." She laughed quietly, her nose bumping against his.

"Okay." He swallowed thickly, and laughed too. Then the car halted to a stop, and they all got out. Stiles' head was still spinning as they went inside.

"There you are." Deaton said, setting a book on the table, and pointing out different sections to Scott.

"Um, are we gonna get to hear any of this?" Liam asked, and Deaton looked up at him.

"Scott?" Deaton said calmly, crossing his arms and waiting for Scott to answer Liam's question.

"A supposedly mythical creature that can change forms to fit their needs." Scott read from the book. "It's called a Granter, and it's very rare. It gives you everything you long for love-wise, in return for your soul. The thing is, it doesn't really give you much of a choice. It messes with your mind, and takes the form of someone you love or lust after, and uses it against you. It steals your soul with a kiss."

"So...basically a shapeshifting demon?" Stiles asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"No. Not exactly." Deaton stepped in, looking at Stiles. "It's not a demon, nor a shapeshifter. This books says they can be tricksters. It plays tricks on your mind, and can make you think you're seeing something that's not actually real. So when George Harp saw his wife, it was actually the beast there kissing him, playing with his mind."

"How exactly is that not a shapeshifter?" Stiles narrows his eyes, confused.

"Stiles." Lydia sighed, turning to him. "Shapeshifters start out at one thing, shed their skin, and then they're another thing. Human, animal, whatever. This...trickster never actually changes forms. It plays with your mind to make you think you're seeing someone or something. It's just an illusion."

"Oh. Like an hallucination?" Stiles asks, and Lydia nods.

"So how do we stop it?" Liam asks, taking a big breath.

"It normally goes after young people. Not that the souls are different in young and old, but older people have a way of being able to see past the illusion better somehow, so that's why George snapped out of it in time. I'm not exactly sure why it went after George, but I don't really care to find out. We have to kill this thing."

"And how do we do that?" Kira asks, leaning against a counter.

"First, we have to trap it. I hate to say this, but unfortunately one of you has to be the bait. It's attracted to the smell of mint. There's a reason for that, but we don't have time to get into it. So one of you, whoever volunteers, has to be the bait. You need to wear mint perfume or cologne, and chew mint gum. It won't be able to resist. It won't suspect anything is hunting it right now, so it'll go after whoever that particular person is." Deaton explained, and Scott, before anyone else could say or do anything, stepped forward. Stiles admired him for that, because he was too terrified.

"I'll do it." Scott nodded, and Kira pulled his arm, tears in her eyes.

"No, Scott! Don't. Please don't do this." She cried, and Stiles understood, because if it had been Lydia who volunteered, he wouldn't be able to deal with it.

"Kira," Scott said softly, and whispered something in her ear for a minute. Everyone looked away, and Stiles finally knew how Liam felt when Stiles and Lydia kissed or whispered something in each others ears. It was too intimate to look at.

Finally they parted, and Kira had to wipe tears from her eyes.

"How bad could this be?" Scott asks Deaton, and he hangs his head down low.

"Your powers heal physical wounds, but not natural caused illnesses. So if they died of pneumonia, you could get it as well. You have to know how dangerous this can be, Scott." Deaton answered, putting his hand on Scott's shoulder. Liam was in shock.

"Don't do this, Scott." Stiles breathed in, feeling a panic attack forming in his ribs. "We can find another way."

"Stiles, you know there isn't another way." Scott told him, and then closed his eyes when Kira started sobbing. Scott held her, and whispered in her ear again.

"So," Stiles breathed in deeply, and he could barely see, and his head was spinning. Lydia sensed his panic, and gripped his hand. "How...how can we find this thing?"

"It doesn't say in the book, but every other victim besides George has been at a club. It's the perfect spot for it to hit. The only two left are this one–" he points to one on a map. "–and this one."

"How do we know which one to choose?" Lydia asks, still holding Stiles' hand tightly.

"If you look closely, the pattern it's going on is a complete circle. Now that I think about it, this must be why it went after George. It has to make a complete circle, and another club wasn't in the right spot. His house was." Deaton realized, and Lydia nodded.

"So that means Midnight Lights is the next club. Tonight's the night, too, if it's going on a every-other-night basis like I think it is." Lydia nodded, and Stiles was in awe of how smart she was.

"Exactly." Deaton crossed his arms, nodding.

"Okay. How do we kill this thing?" She asks, more determined now than ever.

"It probably takes twenty to thirty seconds of kissing before it's fatal. So when Scott snaps out of the illusion, he needs to cover it's mouth with tape. It can't hurt you any other way, so if you seal its weapon off, it can play tricks, but it can't physically hurt you. After that, you need to tie it up, and..."

"And...what?" Stiles asks, scared to find out the answer.

"Cut the head off. It's the only way to kill it." Deaton explains, and Stiles bites his cheek. "The hardest part about that is the fact that when it's threatened, it uses everything in it's power to escape. So everyone will see the person they love most tied up, begging for help and crying to save them. Whoever actually kills it will feel like they're killing their loved one when they cut its head off. Once it's dead, though, the spell will be broken."

"So...if we were all sitting in the room facing it, I would see Scott, and Stiles and Lydia would see each other?" Kira asks, wiping her swollen eyes.

"Correct." Deaton answered. "Unfortunately."

"What about me?" Liam asked, finally stepping in. "I don't love anyone like that. Not yet."

"You'll see someone you lust after. Someone from school, a neighbor, anyone." Deaton told him, and Liam nodded.

"Say it came up to Scott, but he knew it wasn't me, it was the Granter. Could he just put tape over its mouth then?" Kira asks, hopeful.

"I'm sorry, Kira, it doesn't work like that. When it first comes to you, there's not a doubt in your mind that it's not the person it's disguised itself as. It reads your thoughts, knows who you love, knows what they would do in that exact situation. It doesn't matter how much Scott prepares, he will still get tricked." Deaton told Kira, and she nodded with more tears in her eyes. "Which means that no one can help Scott until he pulls himself out of it. It only works that way."

"Wait a second, so we have to sit back and wait for Scott to realize it's not Kira? What if it's too–" he starts to say, but then stops for Kira's sake. And his own.

"Scott will be fine. When the other victims were just in a club, who would expect that thing to come in, disguised as someone they love? They didn't have much of a chance. It may trick you, but you have a great advantage. You can break out of it." Deaton encouraged Scott, and Stiles felt like his rib cage was going to crush his heart any second.

"We should go then. We only have an hour before dark." Scott gulped, and looked at the pack. "We need to get ready. We're going clubbing tonight."


	45. Not Her

**I wanted to upload early because I'll be travel ling all day! This one is also pretty long, so let me know what you think :)**

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"Ready?" Lydia asks, giving a weak smile. He stood up and nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets like he always does when he's nervous. She was wearing heels and a short skirt, despite the cold weather. She did have a sweater on, though, to keep warm.

They had already been to Stiles' house so he could get ready and take a shower, and now they're at Lydia's letting her get ready. Scott and Kira took Liam home to get ready, and then they both went to their houses. They're all meeting back up at Scott's in twenty minutes.

"Yeah." He nodded at her, breathing in.

"He'll be okay, Stiles. He will." Lydia set her hand on his face, and rubbed her thumb across his cheek. "We can't let this thing kill anyone else."

"I know." He looked in her eyes, and then to the floor. "You're right."

She pulled him down and pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes. He held her, and closed his eyes too.

"It'll be over before we even realize it. We'll all be okay, and that thing will be dead." She said softly, and he nodded.

"We should go. The sooner this is over with, the better." He grabbed her hand, and they headed outside to his Jeep.

They ended up cramming into Kira's car again, and they barely talked.

"What did you do? That mint is so strong." Stiles laughed, and coughed lightly.

"Sprayed mint-scented febreze all over myself, brushed my teeth, and now I'm chewing mint gum." Scott laughed, but Stiles knew he was terrified. No one else spoke the rest of the car ride. It was dark by the time they got to the club.

"We need to cover all of the corners of this place." Scott explained outside of the entrance. "Lydia, you go to the first right corner, Stiles you go to the far right corner, Liam on the first left, Kira on the far left. Sound good?"

"Where will you go?" Kira asked, and Stiles could hear her voice shaking.

"I'll stay on the edges of the dance floor watching and dancing. If Deaton is right, it'll be drawn to me. Then the exit is by Stiles, so when I drag it out, Stiles can text you guys, and we'll meet in the alley. Is that okay with everyone?" Scott asked, looking around at all of them. Stiles wanted to say 'no, not at all, let's not do it', but he didn't. He just nodded.

"Okay. He'll let us in with $50 apparently." Scott breathed in, and when the bouncer asked for ID's, Scott handed him money. He pulled the belt back, and a huge part of Stiles wished that he wouldn't have. The music was blaring as they walked in.

"This is it." Scott said loudly, smiling, and Liam instantly hugged him. Then Lydia was next, and then Stiles.

"Be safe." Stiles told him, hugging him tightly. Scott patted his back, and nodded.

Then it's Kira's turn. They kissed for a few seconds, before Scott pulled away. Stiles couldn't hear what he said to Kira after that, but his lips read 'I'll know it's not you. I'll know'. She nodded with tears in her eyes, and they hugged again.

They all told each other good luck, and Stiles and Lydia held hands, and Kira and Liam held hands as they all parted ways. The music was blaring, and he could feel the beat of it in his bones.

"I'm going this way." She yells in his ear, pointing her thumb behind her. He nods, and she squeezes his hand gently, before turning away. He watches her for a second, and then out of nowhere something in his gut makes him panic. He couldn't let her go yet. Without thinking, he grabs her hand, and turns her around. He held her face and gave her one, long kiss. She smiled, and pulled him closer, and kissed him deeper.

He knew it was still something he shouldn't do. They weren't really dating. But this was life and death, and kissing Lydia was something he couldn't risk not being able to do one more time. When they pulled away, he leaned in, and yelled over the music.

"Please stay safe." He told her, squeezing her hand. "Please."

"You too, Stiles." She squeezed back, and smiled at him. They looked at each other, breathed in, and parted ways.

He had to push through what seemed like hundreds of sweaty bodies before he got to where he was supposed to wait. He let his back press against the wall as he scanned the crowd and waited for Scott to show up.

He spent ten minutes watching people come and go; couples sneaking off together, some people getting drinks, some leaving the club to go home for the night. But he didn't see Scott once. Not even after fifteen minutes. The Granter had struck its victims around the same time every night, and that was about right now.

Now it's been twenty minutes, and he hadn't heard from one of them. He was pretty worried, so he figured he would go find Lydia at least to make sure everything was going okay.

"Stiles," Lydia says, right as he pushed himself off against the wall.

"Oh, Lyd, I was just coming to find you." He sighed, hugging her.

"I've been trying to find you too." She answered, searching his face. Then she smiled.

"Did you hear from Scott? What's happening?" He asks, and she grabs his hand, and leads him to a quieter place so they could talk. He made sure he would still be able to see Scott, though, if he passed.

"Stiles, I've been thinking..." She tells him, swallowing thickly.

"What? What's going on? Did Scott say something?" He asks, but she just shakes her head. He was confused.

"No, he's fine, this isn't about him." She answered, looking flustered.

"What is it then? Lydia?" He asked, now feeling worried. She looked up at him, and glanced at his lips.

"I love you, Stiles. I'm in love with you." She replied, tears filling in her eyes. He thought that the loud volume of the music had caused him to hear things. She couldn't be serious right now.

"And I know this isn't a good time to tell you this, but I know that really bad things could happen tonight, and I...I couldn't risk not telling you. I couldn't, because I love you so much, Stiles, and you have to know that." She bit her lip, and looked in his eyes.

"Lydia, I...I love you too. I don't..." He started to say something, he didn't know what yet, but she just smiled with tears in her eyes, and kissed him. Her warm hands were on his cold face, and her fingers were sliding under his shirt. He felt like everything inside of him was on fire.

She moaned against his lips, and the music was loud, and the lights were bright and flashy. All of his senses were heightened.

She grabbed his hand while still kissing him, and guided it down her body. She slipped it under her skirt, and then moved her own hand to his face again, leaving his against the hot skin of her thigh. He felt like he was on fire all over his body.

Her hands were in his hair now, and his fingers were slowly sliding beneath the waistband of her underwear. He didn't even feel like it was himself doing it; like some other person was controlling him. She's moaning and sighing softly against his mouth, and he can hardly take it. He's sweating, now, too, and his stomach is turning. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe. Something was wrong.

"Stiles?" He heard Lydia say, but Lydia was still kissing him. He pulled away from Lydia, the Lydia he was making out with, and looked at the Lydia talking to him. She was crying. "Who...who is that?"

"What?" He asked, looking at the Lydia in front of him. His vision was giving out, and the room was spinning.

"Stiles, don't listen to it. That's the Granter. It's trying to trick you." The one in front of him said, stroking his face softly. "I love you, Stiles. Kiss me, okay? It will all be fine if you just kiss me."

"Stiles, It's me! It's kissing you, Stiles, it's going to kill you if you don't stop it! Snap out of it!" The other one cried out, and he knew everything was all wrong. He watched that same one disappear into the crowd, and he wanted to go after her but he couldn't. The Lydia in front of him was pushing him against the wall, trying to kiss him.

He didn't feel right, and he knew he had to make all of this stop, but he couldn't. He tried to focus on what Lydia said; the one that disappeared into the crowd. 'Snap out of it'. He remembered their mission, and why they were here, what they were doing.

"You're…" He gulped, looking at her. It. "You're not her. You're not Lydia." He finally realized, backing away. He kept going through it in his mind, over and over again, trying to convince himself. Deaton was right; this thing was a great trickster.

It was about to take off running, but then, all of a sudden, it was on the floor. Lydia, the real one, had tackled it down, and her knees were pinning its shoulders to the floor. Stiles wanted to help, but his thoughts were still hazy and he was still weak. He didn't know what to do.

"Just hold its arms down!" Lydia yelled, and suddenly Scott was there, helping her. She held a roll of duct tape in her hands, and ripped a huge piece off with her teeth. She slammed it down onto the creature's mouth, and Stiles still felt drugged, but he saw Lydia on top of another Lydia, tying her up. It was enough to make anyone feel crazy.

"I'm gonna flip it over. Don't let it escape." Lydia told Scott, as the other Lydia squirmed beneath her. She got off of it, grabbed it, and then slammed it down on its stomach. Scott held its arms again as Lydia ripped off more tape, and then tied its hands up with it.

"Text Kira and Liam!" Lydia told Stiles, as they picked the Granter up, and dragged it towards the exit. Stiles fumbled for his phone in his pocket, and focused as hard as he could to text them.

'They caught it. Come outside.' He sent in a group chat, and followed Lydia and Scott towards the exit. His body was still really weak, but the gust of air that hit his face when he walked outside was refreshing. He breathed it in, getting cool air circulating in his lungs.

He saw the fake Lydia tied up on the ground, but the duct tape was peeled halfway off somehow. Stiles remembered Deaton referring it's mouth to 'it's weapon'.

The real Lydia had the back of her hand pressed against her forehead, breathing in and out deeply as she looked down at herself tied up on the ground. It was someone else to her, though, but he didn't know who.

Scott's hands were over his ears, and he was crying. Stiles didn't know what was happening. He walked down the stairs, under the streetlight, and Lydia started sobbing. She fell on her bare knees against the hard concrete, and it scraped them bloody. He leaned down to help her, but then he heard her voice. Her sweet, soft voice. But it wasn't the Lydia who had scraped her knees speaking.

"Stiles. Stiles, they're going to kill me. You can't let them. Untie me, okay? We can...we can run away. We can get away from this, Stiles, you and me. We can be together." She begged, tears in her eyes. "We don't have to live like this anymore, Stiles. Please untie me, I love you. We can go right now."

"I..." His voice cracked, and his hands shook. "I want to."

"You do?" She cried, smiling. "I knew you would. Let's go. You just have to untie me, Stiles, that's all. And then we can be together."

"Something's wrong." He whispered, swallowing thickly. There was a dull, sharp pain behind his right eye, and he couldn't look straight at anything because there was a dark spot blocking his sight.

"You don't love me? I would know you did if you untied me, Stiles. Show me that you love me." She pleaded, tears staining her cheeks. Stiles nodded and reached for the tape on her hands.

"Stiles! Don't." Scott yelled, snapping Stiles out of the illusion. "It's a trick! It's tricking you. Remember what Deaton said. Just...remember."

Stiles stumbled back against the concrete, and then looked at his hands. They were scraped up and bloody, and he knew he should be feeling pain, but he didn't. He was numb, and his hearing went completely out, and everything in his line of sight was spinning rapidly. Then his eyes rolled, and his vision went entirely black.


	46. Relief

**I know it's early again, but it gives everyone a chance to see it all through the day this way I think! Anyway, it's kind of a cliffhanger again, but I'll update Monday instead of Tuesday this week so you won** **'t have to wait as long :) Also - this chapter explains a lot of what happened, but not all of it. The next chapter explains more, so just sit tight :)  
**

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He was half awake. Something cold and hard was pressed uncomfortably against his back, and he couldn't for the life of him open his eyes. There was a loud ringing in his ears too.

Gradually the ringing started going away, but he still couldn't talk or move or hear much of anything. He felt paralyzed.

The first thing he eventually heard was Lydia. Her voice was muffled and unclear still, but he knew it was her. He would recognize her voice anywhere.

Eventually he heard Scott's voice, Kira's, and then Liam's. They were all alright. It was a huge relief.

"We're going to talk to Mr. Stilinski and let him know what all happened." He heard Scott say shakily, and then another voice spoke back. It took a few seconds for Stiles to register who it was. Deaton. He realized that he must be at the animal clinic. "Do you think...how is he?"

"I'm not sure. I've never dealt with this kind of thing before." Deaton replies warily, and Stiles hears Lydia crying. He wanted to say _'I'm awake! I can hear you!'_ but he still couldn't move or speak. "His lips are white, and his skin is pale. His heart rate is dangerously low. We still aren't sure how long he got kissed by the Granter, so I can't fully know how bad it is yet. The medicine I gave him should kick in any time, though."

"So...what? Is part of his soul gone?" Liam asks, and Stiles internally panics.

"It seems so. He's extremely weak." Deaton explains, and Stiles can still hear Lydia stifling back sobs. The rest were all quiet.

"Lydia, why don't you stay with Stiles in case he wakes up." Deaton says softly, and a few seconds later Stiles feels Lydia's hand on his arm. It felt like he suddenly regained energy somehow just from the small touch. He wished he could touch her back. "I'm going to visit the library and see if I can find some kind of cure."

"We'll be back soon. Text or call if anything happens. Anything." Scott tells them, and Stiles pictures Lydia nodding back.

"He'll be okay, Lydia." Liam whispers, and he hears her sniff. A few seconds later the door shuts, and he and Lydia are alone.

He felt her thumb rub gently across his arm, and then she laid her head on his stomach and cried. He hated more than anything that she was in pain.

"Please be okay, Stiles." She whispers, swallowing thickly. "I can't...God, I couldn't live without you. Ever. I need you."

She sighed when he didn't answer. He tried to move any sort of muscle, but he just couldn't. It's like he had forgotten how to.

"I miss you already." She cried, and he felt her tears soaking his shirt. His thoughts were feeling thick and cloudy again. "Just wake up, Stiles. For me. Scott is trying to stay strong but he's breaking. I'm already broken without you." She sat up, and gripped his hand. "I know I probably look like a complete idiot right now, because I'm pretty sure you can't hear me." She laughed weakly and breathed out.

"I know this isn't the time, Stiles, I know that. But I really need to tell you this, and I'm so, so stupid for not telling you before. That's how it always is though, isn't it? You don't know what you have until it's gone. I should have told you when I had the chance, but I…couldn't." She gulped, and got closer. He fought his drowsiness and his headache, because he had to hear what she was about to tell him. He had to know. "Stiles, I…"

And then he blacked out.

"Stiles!" Lydia gasps, as he finally gets the energy to bat his eyes open. He didn't know if had been minutes or hours or even days since he had been conscious last. He knew it must have been a while because Scott was back, and so was Deaton. He had heard their voices.

"Oh my God. Stiles, you scared me to death." She cried and laughed, and hugged him. She looked in his eyes for a second with tears in her own, and then kissed him deeply.

"Wow. I should really get the soul sucked out of me more often." He coughed out, giving a weak attempt at a smile. She laughed and wiped her tears away, holding his hand. He tried to sit up but he had little to no energy left in him.

"Son." His dad raced up and hugged him, holding him tightly. "I thought I'd lost you. Don't ever do something stupid like that again."

"I won't, Dad. I'm sorry." Stiles croaked, and Scott, Kira, and Liam poured in to hug him and tell him they love him.

"Stiles. Oh, man, we thought you...I'm glad you're okay." Scott sighed, and pulled Stiles in for a hug.

"I'm good. Besides, I can't die now. There would be no one left to annoy the hell out of you guys." He whispered hoarsely, and Scott laughed with tears in his eyes. Liam and Kira were mostly silent, but he could tell from the looks on their faces that they were just as emotional.

"Sorry about the discomfort. I should really invest in a bed back here." Deaton laughed, and helped Stiles take small sips of water. "How are you feeling?"

"Not great." He admitted, realizing it probably wasn't the time to lie about his health.

"Well you did just get half of your soul stolen from you." Liam laughed lightly, and Stiles felt sharp pains in his head.

"Who killed that thing anyway?" Stiles asks, looking around the room at them. "I blacked out before the big finale."

"I did." Liam replied quietly, and the whole room was silent. Stiles felt sick to his stomach. He's just a kid. "I saw Stacy Brenner from school. She's beautiful but I don't love her or anything. So it wasn't as hard for me to do it as it would have been for you guys."

"I'm going to grab some food for everyone. You still don't look well at all." His dad tells Stiles, looking terrified. They all nodded as he walked out the door. It was probably for the best, because his dad always needed some time to cool down after something bad happened. That's the reason he drinks when he comes home from work.

Scott, Kira, Liam, and Deaton all assumed that Stiles saw Lydia, and Lydia saw Stiles since they're 'dating'. And although Stiles did see Lydia, he really didn't want her to know that. He's in a huge mess.

"So what do we do now?" Lydia asks, squeezing Stiles' hand as they all looked at Deaton. "How do we get his soul back?"

"Okay, I went to the library and found as much information as I possibly could about a Granter. Someone recount the events of the night please." Deaton asked calmly, but Stiles was impatient.

"We all went our separate ways." Lydia explained, looking at Stiles. She breathed in deeply, and continued with the story. "And I waited a while, but I hadn't heard from anyone, or seen anything off. So after a few more minutes of waiting, I decided to check on Stiles to see if he had seen anything. I walked up, and…" She gulped, and tore her eyes away from Stiles.

"Lydia…? I need to know what happened." Deaton looked at her, and she pushed her lips together and sighed.

"Okay, well I walked up and Stiles was...God, he was making out with some random girl, with his hand up her skirt." She looked down, and Stiles blushed like crazy. "I was angry and confused at first, but then I realized the Granter must have gone after him instead of Scott. I don't know why, and I still don't."

"Thank you, Lydia. Stiles, your point of view please?" Deaton asked, and Stiles was still really, really embarrassed as usual.

"Alright, so, um, it was the same as Lydia. Nothing was going on, so I knew something had to be wrong. I was about to go find her, but she walked up to me right as I was about to." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't know how he was going to sort this out. They all thought it was normal that he would see Lydia as the person he loves most, but she probably thinks he's lying to cover both of their asses so their prank doesn't get outed prematurely. He didn't know what he was going to say when they're alone, and she asks who he saw.

"She told me that she needed to talk to me, and the music was too loud, so we, you know, snuck off for a second. It wasn't far, but it was enough so we could hear better. Then she kissed me. We were...really going at it. I knew something was wrong, but I was too caught up in it. It was like her lips were poison that made me more and more...out of it, I guess, with every passing second. She guided my hand up her skirt, and then Lydia walked up. The real one. She saw someone else, but I saw her. I saw Lydia. Two of them."

He felt her staring at him, but he couldn't find the courage to look back.

"It was trying to create turmoil. Disorder. Chaos." Deaton explained, flipping through pages in a book. "Stiles saw Lydia, but Lydia saw Stiles with another girl. It wanted to make you angry, Lydia."

"What does this thing actually look like?" Liam asks, once again asking the questions that they had all wanted to. Deaton flipped through the book again, and then held the picture up. It was hand-drawn, but it was one of the ugliest things he had ever seen. So ugly, in fact, that Stiles' hand involuntarily swung up and knocked the book out of his hand from shock.

"I was about to...finger that thing? Holy shit, I think I'm about to black out again." Stiles breathed in and out deeply and rapidly, and laid back down on the uncomfortable metal table. Lydia sat beside him and pressed a cool, wet rag against his forehead.

"Just relax, Stiles." She smiled weakly, and gently stroked her fingers against his cheek. "You need to save your energy. You don't have much left."

"She's right. I hate to say this, but just because you're awake doesn't mean you're okay. Pieces of your soul is still gone." Deaton looks at him, and Lydia lets out a long, uneven breath.

"How...how can I get it back?" Stiles asks, worried at the tone of Deaton's voice. He looked at the floor for a few seconds, and Stiles knew that wasn't a good sign at all. He looked up, and turned towards Scott, Kira, and Liam.

"Can I have a moment to speak to Lydia and Stiles alone, please?" Deaton asked them, his voice full of concern.

"What? Let them stay." Stiles tried to sit up, but Lydia pushed him back down to rest.

"Stiles, please stop. Relax." She held his hand, and he sighed and nodded, and loosened his tense muscles as much as possible.

"We'll be right outside, Stiles. It's fine." Scott laughed, and put his arm around Kira. Liam kept looking back as they walked out.

"So...how do we get his soul back?" Lydia gulped, pressing the back of Stiles' hand against her soft lips.

"I previously stated that the Granter feeds off of love and affection. When it kissed you, Stiles, it took some of yours away from you." He narrowed his eyes, and looked at both of them.

"No offense, Deaton, but I'm pretty sure I'm about to, you know, blackout again, so you might want to speed this up a little." Stiles blinked heavily, trying to keep his focus. Deaton looked up at them, and Stiles knew he was about to tell them.

"In order to get your full soul back, you need to have sexual intercourse with the person that the Granter took the appearance of." He finally told them, and Stiles and Lydia's mouths both dropped open.

He has to have sex with Lydia.


	47. I Know

**This one definitely explains a lot more! The next few chapter are pure Stydia, so hold tight!**

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"Wait...what?" Stiles croaks, and Lydia takes in a sharp breath.

"I'm not saying I condone this. But it's the only way for you to regain the lost pieces of your soul. It makes a lot of sense if you read into it, but we don't have the time." Deaton answers, closing the book and setting it down. "There's no alternative."

"How the hell does having sex make my soul come back?" He gulps, glancing at Lydia. Deaton opened his mouth to answer, but Lydia interrupted before he could.

"Deaton...this isn't real. I mean...we're not actually together. It's a prank. It's a long story, but we're not actually dating." Lydia explains, putting her face in her hands. "I'm sorry."

He sighed, and looked at them both.

"Okay, well who did you see then, Stiles? It has to be them for it to work." Deaton told him, and Stiles stared straight up at the ceiling, gulping. Lydia and Deaton were both staring at him. He's not ready.

"I saw…Lydia. It was still her." He finally whispered out, and Lydia looked away. He had basically just told her that he's in love with her. This is not at all how he wanted to tell her, but it was his only choice. It was practically this or die.

"That makes sense." She sighed, and then looked at him again. "We're around each other so much now, and we've already admitted we're attracted to each other. It was that girl at first, but when I went outside...I saw you too."

"It doesn't matter if you saw each other for the lustful reason or not. It's still the only way you can get his soul back. I'm sorry." Deaton tells them, and Stiles felt horrible and sick and like he was going to blackout again.

He told Lydia flat out that he was in love with her. Okay, not flat out, but it didn't matter. How could she still not see? He didn't know what else he could possibly do anymore.

"Is there like...a deadline or something? How much time do we have until I bite it?" Stiles asks, getting chills from his fever.

"Don't say that." Lydia whispers, swallowing thickly.

"Sorry." He replies, and then looks at Deaton for an answer to his question. "So?"

"Looks like you still have a few days. The sooner you get it over with, though, the better. You shouldn't waste any time." Deaton explained, and Stiles closed his eyes. He felt so weak and exhausted, he could barely even move. And on top of that, embarrassed.

"Are there any...requirements?" Lydia asks, her cheeks turning pink. This was extremely embarrassing for everyone.

"You both have to reach climax. That's about it." He answers, as calmly as ever.

"Oh God." Stiles groans, humiliated. This could not possibly be worse.

"We can't take this anymore," Scott bursts in, along with Kira and Liam behind him. "Can he be saved or not?"

Deaton looked at them to answer. Lydia glances at Stiles, and then over to the pack.

"There's a way." She admits, looking at the floor.

"So...what is it?" Liam cuts in, full of impatience.

"We have to have sex. That's the only way to restore the missing pieces of his soul." She whispers, gulping.

"Oh God, that's so great." Scott sighed with relief, hugging Lydia. Of course this isn't a big deal. They think Stiles and Lydia have had sex hundreds of times by now. "I thought it was going to have to be some blood sacrifice. God, that's awesome. I'm so glad."

"Yeah," Lydia nods, and lets out an uneasy laugh. It seems like she had forgotten too. "Once his dad finds out he's going to be fine, he'll probably go back to work. So Stiles can stay the night with me, and I'll take care of him. We'll have sex, I mean. He'll be fine in the morning. Oh, and can we please not inform his dad about the healing process? I'd rather him not know."

"Our lips are sealed." Scott laughed, and they all took turns hugging each other. "You'll be fine, dude. I was really scared for a while."

"I was too." Stiles replied, trying to keep his eyes open. "I think I need to sleep for a little while. Tell dad that I'm...tell him I'm sorry I couldn't stay awake until he got back. Let him know I'll be fine."

"Yeah. Yeah, of course." Lydia answered, kissing his forehead. His eyes slowly fell shut, and he immediately fell asleep again. He felt so empty and weak, and sleep felt like the only solution for now.

He was pretty sure that it was only a few minutes later when his dad came back with food. He was half asleep and heard him talking to Scott and Deaton. Someone else held Stiles' hand, and he was positive it was Kira. He felt content, so he allowed himself to slip into a deep sleep.

"Stiles, it's time to go." He heard Lydia say softly, and she pushed her fingers through his hair. His eyes slowly opened, and he looked at her. He felt empty. Even worse than before.

"Hey." He smiled weakly up at her, and she smiled back with tears in her eyes. He must look really sick. "How long was I out? Where's dad?"

"You were out for about three hours. He stayed for a few of those, but he had to go back to work. He said to tell you that he loves you." She explained, looking sad to be the one who told him.

"Oh." He gulped, and nodded. Scott, Kira, and Liam were all lying with their backs against the wall in a corner, sleeping.

"You should drink some water." She smiled, and helped him sit up. He had no energy, and he felt like he was about to pass out just from forcing himself to sit up.

When he finally sat upright, she held his chin as she slowly tipped the bottom of the cup up so he could take small sips. Her hands were shaking.

"Thanks." He told her, reaching up to hold her shaking hand. She nodded and pressed his hand against her cheek for comfort. He wasn't sure if it was for his comfort or for her own. "We should go. It's getting late. I'm going to wake them up and Scott can help me get you to the car."

"Okay." Stiles replies, using all of his strength to hold himself up. He watched as she walked over and woke Scott, Kira, and Liam all up. They all immediately got up and buzzed around Stiles to see how he was doing.

"Wait." Deaton said, pushing through the doors. "May I talk to Stiles alone for a moment? I need to ask him about his previous health problems."

Lydia looked slightly panicked to leave him alone in this state, but she nodded, and followed the rest of the pack out of the room.

Deaton looked around to make sure they had all left.

"What's this actually about?" Stiles asks, curious.

"Pain. It's drawn to pain." Deaton told him, and Stiles gave him an ' _I'm confused'_ look. Upon seeing that look, Deaton elaborated. "It's drawn to mint, and you had that smell on you since you hugged Scott. But it's also drawn to pain and despair. It knew how you feel about Lydia, and it was impossible to stay away from the heartache of unrequited love. That's why it chose you. It knows how easy it is to go after someone who thinks the person they love doesn't love them back."

"What? I told you me and Lydia are just friends." Stiles replied defensively, and crossed his arms.

"Yes, Stiles, you did, but it's very obvious to me that you wish it were more. You love her, and the Granter knew it. That's why it came for you. Besides, I immediately knew how you felt about her when you told me it was Lydia it took the form of. I knew it was because of love, not attraction. It's easy for me to see how you feel about her."

"I don't...I don't want to feel this way. And this is just making it so much worse for me, Deaton." Stiles finally admitted, realizing there is no point in lying about it.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm afraid there's no other way." He explained, setting his hand on his shoulder.

"I'll survive," he sighed, and looked at the floor. "Is that it?"

"Yes." Deaton laughed, and then continued going through his book.

"Guys, come help me!" Stiles yelled out, and they immediately burst into the room like they had been waiting (they had).

"You look like hell." Scott sighed, helping him off of the table. He grabbed his arm, and Lydia grabbed his other arm. "How are you feeling?"

"Not great. I'll admit that because I'm sure you'll all know I'm lying. Especially if I look like hell." He laughed, and his ribs ached.

"Don't worry. You'll feel better soon." Lydia told him, and he couldn't help but fixate on the idea of why he was going to feel better soon. He didn't know if he was going to be able to go through with this.

"How did your car get here?" Stiles asks, as they make their way through the cold air in the parking lot.

"Me and Kira went and got it a few hours ago. Lydia wouldn't leave your side for a second." Scott laughed, and Stiles looked down at the pavement as he was practically being dragged to Lydia's car. Liam and Kira were lingering around them closely.

"Oh God." Stiles gasped, looking at the reflection of himself in the mirror. His eyes and cheeks looked hollowed out, his eyes hard dark rings around them, and they were blood shot. His skin was pale - much paler than usual, and it looks translucent. He looked horrible. "I look like a vampire or something."

"Come on." Lydia laughs, opening the door. They help him in, and he collapses against the seat, breathing heavily from only exerting small amounts of energy.

"Call me in the morning, okay? Just...be careful." Scott tells him, leaning against the open car door. Lydia had already gone around to the other side and gotten in.

"I will, and I will." Stiles laughs, fighting to keep his eyes open. He hugged all three of them, before they shut the car door and watched them drive away.

"You didn't have to sit there waiting on me all day." Stiles finally says, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I did." She answered, staring straight ahead at the road. He stared at her.

"What did you tell dad? About the healing process, I mean." He laughed weakly, watching her.

"We just told him that if I took care of you for a night, you should be better tomorrow. Which wasn't really a lie. He just doesn't know the extent of how I'm going to take care of you." She laughs, and glances over at him. He grins.

"Probably best if he doesn't." Stiles laughs, and she reaches over and holds his hand.

"I'm glad you're going to be okay."

"Me too."


	48. Together

**I decided to upload tonight instead of tomorrow. This one is suuuuuper long so hopefully you can all hold out until Saturday's update! Also - I've never written anything like this, so please let me know what you think :)**

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He was laying on her bed waiting for her. She was in the bathroom, pacing back and forth with nerves. She had to get them all out now, because she couldn't let him see.

It was one thing when they made out with each other and it was unplanned. But when it was all organized, and they _had_ to do this…well that made it all a lot harder. And more awkward.

He had his back against the headboard of her bed, picking at loose strands of fabric coming from her blanket. He couldn't do this.

"Ready to sex it up?" Lydia laughed, standing in the doorway of her bathroom with a tiny black lace lingerie set on. He could tell she was nervous by the way her voice shook.

"Yeah. I mean I guess so." He laughed, gulping and pushing himself up higher with his hands. He looked in her eyes and wouldn't allow himself to look any further down.

"Stiles," She rolled her eyes, and crawled towards him on the bed. "We have to do this for real. So you can look at me. And even touch me." She smiled, and guided his hand to press against her chest.

"Whoa," He laughed and gulped again, realizing his hand is on her boob. This was surreal, and amazing, and life-changing, and also...not right. At all.

"Okay, let's do this. I know you don't have much energy so I'll get on top." She told him, straddling his waist. She leaned in and kissed him, and he closed his eyes. He tried to enjoy it, but he knew that it wasn't working. It was awkward.

Their noses kept bumping, or their foreheads, and it was all just going completely wrong. She pretended like she didn't notice, and tried to pull his shirt off in a rush. She was obviously nervous as hell, and didn't want him to know it. He could read her easily now, though, so it didn't matter if she tried hiding it or not; it didn't work.

"No. No, Lydia, stop." He whispered, pulling away from her. "I hate that this is forced."

"Stiles, we have to do this." She sighed, closing her eyes like she was annoyed it wasn't over with yet.

"That's exactly what I mean. You shouldn't have to do this. I know you want to save me, but we can find another way." He told her, shaking his head. "God, and how the hell does sex bring back my soul anyway? That makes no sense. There has to be another way."

"Deaton said there wasn't. Besides, it's just sex. I would have done a lot worse things to save you." She smiled, and he smiled back. She looked down at his lips, and then back to his eyes. Tension.

"We'll find another way." He assured her, and tried not to show how little energy he felt when he stood up. "I'm going to shower. I'll be out in a few minutes, then we can just watch a movie. Deaton will help us figure out something tomorrow."

He actually had felt better just being in the same general vicinity as Lydia, but now, walking away from her, he felt weaker than ever. He didn't want her to know that, though.

"I can't let you do this. You've risked yourself so many times for me, and you can't even let me repay you? And Jesus, I'm not even putting my life in danger - it's just sex!" She raised her voice, and it surprised him.

 _'Just sex,'_ he thought to himself, holding back a bitter laugh. It hurt him to think how easy this must be for her. Just sex. No emotion, no love. The words hurt.

"You're being selfish." He told her, finally turning around to face her. She laughed then, and he swore he could see fire in her eyes.

"What?! _You're_ being selfish, Stiles, _I'm_ trying to save you! You could be dead by the morning, and fucking me is all you have to do to save yourself! I am not being selfish, you are!"

"I'm pretty sure me being selfish would be making you have sex with me, just to save myself. But I don't want that! That is so messed up, and I don't want you to do it for me." He answered her, trying to keep his voice at a civil tone.

"Jesus Christ, Stiles, most guys would be jumping at the chance to screw someone for no reason, but you won't even do it to save yourself?" She huffed angrily, her chest rising and falling from her yelling. He knew it wasn't the time, but he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. It was almost crippling to look at her in this 'no energy' state he's in right now.

"And you know what? You _are_ being selfish. Because yeah, you may not care about your own life, but I do. And Scott does, and Kira does, and Liam does, and every other freaking person in this town does." Her voice shook with anger, and he looked down at the floor.

"I don't have the energy to argue right now." He sighed, and turned back around to walk to the bathroom. That conversation was draining, and he needed to get into the bathroom as quickly as he could, he decided, so he could let himself pass out without worrying Lydia to death.

"Stiles," She whispered behind him, and he heard her gulp. He did too, scared of what she might say. Just...scared. He was already upset enough.

"Mhmm?" He asked, and when he turned around she was making her way towards him. Something was different. He looked at her, and was suddenly filled with a desire only curable by one thing, and he knew he couldn't make it dissipate any other way. She must have felt it too, because her eyes were filled with complete lust, and her teeth were grinding together like she couldn't even contain herself for a second longer.

She let out a breathless moan right before she pressed him against the wall and gave him a searing kiss. It didn't even feel like she was doing this just for the whole 'saving his life' thing anymore. It was different. Something had changed.

He felt ridiculous, but his energy level was already starting to rise. Up until now, he had thought Deaton must have misread or fabricated the solution to his problem, but it was clear to him now that it was true. Even being close to Lydia had boosted his vitality levels tremendously.

He kissed her. His fingers curled around the back of her neck, pulling her closer. It wasn't long before they were both breathless and desperate and her fingers were scratching against his arm.

He turned her around and pressed her against the wall, and kissed her in the way that he's always craving to.

Everything was different now. Their noses bumped still, yes, but in a perfectly-desperate way, opposed to an awkwardly-forced way. He didn't even know why his mind had changed in the span of twenty seconds, but something was drawing them together, and that something was incredibly difficult to fight.

"Stiles," She breathes out against his mouth, sliding her hands under his hoodie. He couldn't catch his breath as she kissed down his neck. His eyes were shut and his eyebrows were furrowed, and his hands were tangled messily in her hair. They were both panting and moaning and sighing incessantly.

"Take this off." She gulped, pulling at his hoodie. He moved back slightly and pulled it over his head, and she tossed it across the room. She immediately turned back to him and started kissing down his chest. Her hands were rubbing down his arms, and her lips were kissing his collarbone, and then down his chest. Her lips were hot and feverish and wet against his skin, and he let out an involuntary moan.

"It's about time I got one of those out of you." She laughs against his skin, her breath heavy and thick.

"Do you think...that this will make it awkward between us?" He pants, pulling her up so he could look at her.

"I really don't care right now." She answered, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her cheeks were pink, and her lips were parted. She laughed, and kissed his lips again.

"Wait…" He stopped her again, and she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Where's your mom? Wasn't she coming back today?"

"She _was_ supposed to, yes - _now_ she's staying an extra day. I talked to her on the phone while you were still sleeping." She answered, and pulled him back down to her. He didn't ask any more questions after that.

They kissed again, and let out all of the built-up tension from the past week come loose. Their hands roamed each others bodies; desperate to memorize every curve, and the feel of the soft skin under their curious fingertips.

"Touch me," She begged, slowly guiding his hand between her legs. He was too scared that he would do something she didn't want, so he was always really, really happy when she guided him through it.

"Oh, God, Stiles," She whimpered at his touch, as he slowly pressed his middle and index finger against the thin fabric of her underwear. Her nails sunk into the skin of his arms, as he panted against her neck and gently moved his fingers against her. Seeing her like this probably gave him as much pleasure as she was feeling right now.

"Take me to the bed." She gasped, and they were both panting and sweating and trying to catch their breaths.

He grabbed under thighs, and she locked her legs together around his back. On the way to the bed she sucked on his earlobe and his neck, and his legs were about to give out from how amazing it felt.

He sat down on the bed, against the headboard, and they immediately continued making out. She was moaning and making all sorts of soft, desperate sounds against his lips. It was driving him absolutely crazy.

"Sit up." She murmurs against his lips, and he pushes himself up higher against the headboard.

"Touch me again." She pleaded, whispering against his lips. He complied with her request, and slid his hand down her stomach, until it curved to the warm spot between her legs. "Oh God." She moaned and shivered against his neck, laying her forehead on his shoulder. She started slowly grinding against his hand, and he felt like he was about to orgasm just watching her.

"Does that feel good?" He whispers, gulping as he looks at her blissful face. She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to catch her breath.

"I think the constant moaning should be a good sign." She laughs, chewing on her bottom lip. She closed her eyes again, and propped one of her hands on the wall behind him. She started grinding even harder against his hand. There was only a thin layer of fabric between her and his him, and he couldn't believe he was actually getting Lydia off right now.

"Here, let me help you." She panted.

"I'm actually...this is great right now." He gulped and laughed, but she interrupted by grabbing his hand and pressing it against her chest instead. She moaned and threw her head back, and then started untying his sweatpants desperately. That's when it really sunk in what was about to happen.

They finally got his sweatpants off, and she held his face while she kissed him. He pressed his fingers against her back, bringing her closer. He kissed down her neck, and her collarbone, and her arms, because this is what he's been dreaming about for years, and he didn't want to waste one second of it.

"How's your energy level?" She asked breathlessly, mid-moan.

"It's surprisingly rising by the second." He answered, kissing back up to her mouth.

"Something else is too." She smiles against him, and then props her hand up on the wall again. She started grinding against him. Like actually grinding against his boner. It was so sudden and unexpected that he threw his head back with a moan, but hit it hard on the headboard. They both laughed about it, and he couldn't believe he had been so nervous about this earlier. It felt so natural.

She kissed him again as she rubbed against him, and he could feel his orgasm building already. He had never felt this good in his entire life.

"Stiles...take my top off." She told him, her moans steadily growing louder.

"O-Okay." He replied, gulping before kissing her shoulder and reaching behind her back. He undid the hook, and ran his fingers against the indented skin there as she let the bra slide down her arms. His heart rate sped up by about ten times when she took it off, and threw it on the ground.

He muttered something incomprehensible, and she laughed, and kissed him again. His hands were on her thighs, and they slid up until they were rubbing against the lace of her underwear. They stopped kissing, their breath heavy, and she pressed her forehead against his.

"We're about to have sex," He panted, running his fingers through her hair.

"I know." She laughed, swallowing thickly as she ran her fingers slowly up and down his neck. She then lowered it, until it was at the waistband of his boxers.

"Wait. Wait." He says, removing her hand.

"What?" She asked, looking in his eyes. She reached over, opened her nightstand, and pulled something out. "Do you need a condom? I have some."

"Yes, but...no. I want to be on top is what I meant." He looked away and gulped, and then looked back into her eyes.

"Do you have enough energy?" She asked, staring at his lips.

"I think so. I've gained so much just the past few minutes." He laughed, and she nodded and smiled.

"Then have at it." She laughed, and then their smiles started to fade, and the tension was back.

He grabbed under her thighs, picked her up, and laid her head down at the end of the bed. He kissed her neck, her chest, and her stomach.

"Stiles hurry." She pleaded, moaning with every touch.

"I thought girls liked all of this stuff." He replied, looking up at her. He said that to cover up the fact that he liked all of this stuff.

"We do. It's to get us turned on, though, and I'm way past that point." She breathed out, and fell back against the bed. "Just fuck me already."

"Jeez, Lyd." He laughed, looking around the bed. "Where's that condom?"

"Here." She hands it to him, and sits up and bites her lip with anticipation. His hand trembles as he tears the package open, and then he fumbles to get it out.

"Well don't...don't watch." He tells her insecurely, hesitating to take his boxers off.

"I can't see what I'm working with?" She complained, licking her lips. She rolled her eyes and fell back against the bed again, waiting. He pulled his boxers down, and then rolled the condom on himself as best as he could.

"Take my underwear off." She said, desperately waiting.

"Okay. Okay." He said, hooking his fingers around the waistband of them. He had to talk himself into it because he was so nervous.

"Stiles!" She groaned angrily, and sat up to look at him.

"It's just...are you sure you want this?" He asked, gulping nervously.

"God, yes, I want this. Now put it in before I finish myself off." She told him, sliding her own underwear off of herself.

"Okay. Ready?" He asks, positioning himself. She nods and smiles, and laces their fingers together. He slowly pushes into her, and her head falls back and she whimpers. He moans against her neck, and places sloppy kisses against it as he starts to move. She squeezes his hand, and her other hand grasps desperately at the sheets.

"Does that hurt?" He asks breathlessly, his eyes practically rolling back into his head.

"No. No, keep going." She answers, moaning and whimpering. "I think I should say," She pants, her eyebrows furrowing as she scratches down his back. "That I've never had an orgasm from penetration. I know you need it to get your soul back."

"We'll just have to try then," He replies, feeling sweat start to form all over his body.

"Faster," She pleaded, and cried out his name when he did. "God, Stiles, that feels so good." She moans, and he kisses her as she digs her fingernails into his shoulderblades.

He's in love. Oh my _God_ , is he in love, and it's not just because they're having sex. It feels amazing, yeah, but they're so close. So close and intertwined and connected right now, and he is so happy. He's happy that he's the one that's making Lydia feel this way, and the one who's making her cry his name out in pleasure. And he doesn't want someone else to get the chance to do this with her, and know they're in love with her, but they're brave enough to tell her. He wants her, all of her, all the time. He was too weak to admit that to her.

They're both moaning and panting, and he knew he was close.

"Stiles," She groaned, arching her back. "I'm about to…." And they both orgasm at the same time.

Sweat was sticking to both of their bodies, and the only noise in the room was their loud pants.

"I can't believe you just made me orgasm." She laughs underneath him, and he sits up and props his elbows on the bed so he can look at her. "That was amazing."

"It was." He laughed and swallowed thickly as he looked at her. He pushed her hair away from her face, as he smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

"Mmm, we're about to fall off the bed." She laughs, and he sits up. He helps her up too, and they go to the other side of the bed and get under the blanket, laughing. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than ever. Like...even better than before I made out with that ugly monster." He laughed, running his fingers against her arm.

"That was great. I mean I knew you were humble, but wow, Stiles. You really knew what you were doing. How many people have you been with?" She asks, circling her finger on the sheet.

"Um...one." He replies, laughing awkwardly.

"Oh, really? So I'm your second?" She asks, furrowing her eyebrows.

"No, I mean...now I've had one." He answers, breathing in deeply. She looked lost for a second, and then she sat up, her hair flowing across her shoulders.

"Wait…" She half-smiles, looking at him. "You were a virgin? Just, like, fifteen minutes ago?"

"Yeah." He laughed, and her mouth dropped. She sat up on the bed, crossing her legs and covering herself with the sheet.

"You should have told me I was your first." She grabs his hand, and rubs her thumb over the top of it.

"First of all, I figured you had already guessed it. Secondly, it was pretty hard to tell you. You're so...you know, experienced, and I was embarrassed." He admitted, sighing.

"What? That's not embarrassing." She shakes her head, and lays back down beside him. "That was probably the best sex I've ever had. Seriously."

"Me too." He joked, and she laughed.

"Hmm," She sighed, kissing his neck slowly. "Maybe since you feel so good we should do it one more time? Just to make sure, you know."

"Yeah, I don't think we should take the risk," He whispered between kisses, and she smiled.

"I'm on top this time."

"Deal."


	49. Shower

"Mmm, how do you feel?" Lydia asks hoarsely, cracking one of her eyes open sleepily. The light is pouring through her bedroom window, and it's shining right on her.

He couldn't believe last night happened. Or the past weekend at all, actually. He was half-dead just last night, but now, laying in his bed the next morning, he has never felt so full of life.

"Amazing. Like mentally, physically, emotionally great. I can't even explain it." He laughs, sitting up against the headboard. Images of last night flooded his mind. "Thank you."

"You're thanking me for having sex with you?" She laughs, sitting up too. "I should be thanking you. We had sex three times last night and I orgasmed every time. I had given up on even thinking it was possible."

"Well I'm...glad I could restore your faith." He laughed, and she laughed too. He pulled his phone off of the nightstand, and composed a text to Scott, Liam, and Kira, telling them that he felt better and that he thinks he'll be okay.

"Do you think we should talk about the Granter?" Lydia asks as he sets his phone down.

"What about it?" He questions, suddenly terrified. There were so many ways this could go wrong.

"You said that you had your hand in my skirt, about to finger me. That may be normal for them since they think we're together, but…" She explains, shrugging her shoulders.

"I just...I saw you, Lydia. Doesn't that make you think I must be really, really sexually attracted to you?" He laughs, trying not to sound as uncomfortable as he feels.

"I guess. So, what? It just came up to you, disguised as me, asking if you want to finger it?" She laughs, furrowing her eyebrows.

"It wasn't like that." He answered, taking in a breath. "I don't know, it's kind of a blur. You, well the Granter, came up to me, and was worried since it apparently hadn't heard from Scott either. So we moved so we could talk, but then it kissed me. God, Lydia, it was so weird. It was like I was on drugs or something. I knew something was wrong, but it felt like you. It looked like you. I was so out of it, the room was spinning. Then it guided my hand under your-It's-" he corrected himself, "skirt. It wasn't long before you walked up."

"Yeah. I saw this beautiful, tall brunette making out with you." She laughed, turning and looking out the window.

"Jealous?" He asks smugly, knocking his elbow against hers.

"You wish." She laughed, rolling her eyes playfully.

"I saw the way you looked at us when you thought it was the beautiful, tall brunette. You were upset. You were mad." He shrugged and sighed.

"Yeah, I was mad. We were supposed to be on a life or death mission and you were making out with some girl." She furrowed her eyebrows, angry.

"Some girl? It was a beautiful, tall brunette, Lydia. It wasn't just some girl." He accused, faking to be surprised. She tried not to, but she cracked a smile.

"You're so annoying." She laughed, and he put his arm around her.

"You know I would never make out with someone while we fake date. I could never do that to my fake girlfriend." He laughed, kissing the top of her head. He tried to play it off like it was all funny, but his spirits were low now. He was tired of feeling this way.

"You're right. I should have trusted you." She smiled, and laid her head on his chest. They sat there in silence for a few minutes. "I wonder why it came to you instead of Scott."

"Yeah, I…I don't know." He lied, feeling that familiar knot in his stomach. He's lying to everyone, and it's getting so hard.

"That's so weird. We'll have to look it up online today." She sighs, and looks up at him.

"Mhmm." He nods, trying not to let her see his nervous gulp. He really hoped she would forget to do that.

"You know, back at the vet…that was a perfect time for us to tell them. To tell them this is fake." She sighed, and looks at him. He hated talking about this. "With you, crippled, they couldn't even stay mad at you. It was a perfect time."

"I know. God, we're stupid as hell. It would've been, like, a clean slate. They were too happy I was alive to even be mad. Now I'm better, and it won't work." He groaned, facepalming.

"It's fine. We can still tell them, it just may not be as good of an opportunity, is all." She smiled, trying to make him more hopeful.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He smiled back, rolling his eyes playfully.

"We need to shower." She sighed, and sat up. Her back was towards him as she sat on the edge of the bed, and slipped her underwear on. Then she stood up, and held her arm over her chest. She walked towards the bathroom, and then turned around and looked at him. "Um...aren't you coming?" She laughs, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I...I don't know. Wouldn't that be weird?" He questions, sitting up uneasily.

"Why do you do that?" She asks, walking into the bathroom and putting on a robe. She then leans over to turn the water on.

"Do what?" He asks, putting his boxers on under the blanket, and then getting out of bed.

"We just had sex three times last night, and you're making it weird about getting in the shower together?" She laughs, as he walks into bathroom.

"I'm not making it weird. It's just...we had to have sex last night. But now, doing this…I don't know." He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Wow. It was that bad for you, huh? That you just 'had to'." She crossed her arms, and gulped.

"Lydia don't even start that with me about that. That was...God, it was the best night of my life." He laughed weakly, and she looked down at her feet.

"Well then why are you acting like it was the worst?" She questions, looking in his eyes.

"I'm not acting like that. I just don't understand, is all. Friends don't exactly shower together, Lyd." He sighs, blushing.

"I think some do." She whispers, reaching down and slowly untying her robe. She bit her lip, and he shook his head because he knew that after she took it off, there would be no going back to his whole 'we shouldn't do this' argument. He had no chance.

"This isn't fair." He gulped, as she dropped the robe, and shimmied out of her underwear.

"What isn't fair? I didn't do anything." She whispered, tilting her head. He tried to look away and ignore her completely, but she grabbed his hand, and slid it between her legs. He pushed his lips together and squeezed his eyes shut, breathing in deeply.

"I'm so wet for you, Stiles," She whimpered, rocking her hips against his hand slowly.

"Oh my God." He practically choked, even though he had been desperately trying to keep his cool. Then she suddenly let go, and kept eye contact as she backed up into the shower. He felt ridiculous and dumb, because he was standing there practically drooling over her.

She leaned back and let the water flow through her hair and against her back, and closed her eyes as she relaxed.

"Your choice." She sighed, not even bothering to look over at him. Almost tripping, he pulled his boxers off and jumped in with her. She turned and laughed, and kissed him deeply. "Thank God." She breathed out, pressing him against the wall.

They made out for a few minutes, with the steamy-hot water beating down on their backs.

"Put it in." She panted, scratching his back.

"We don't have a condom," He breathed out heavily, and she groaned.

"Just pull out." She whined, kissing down his chest.

"No! Lydia, God, you aren't thinking clearly." He sighed, and she let go of him.

"I know. I know." She gulped, shaking her head like she was finally realizing how bad that idea was. "I was just really caught up in this."

"I know, me too." He admitted, pushing her wet hair back. "This wouldn't work anyway. Do you know how many people have died after slipping in the shower while having sex?"

"Too many, I'm sure." She laughed, putting her arms around his neck. He laughed too, and leaned in to kiss her again. He kissed her softly, and let his lips linger against hers for a few seconds. She sighed as he pulled away.

He's letting himself get too happy and invested in this. He thought he could do it, thought he could take it. But now he realizes that's an impossible goal to achieve. He was so in love with her even before all of this happened. Now he has slept her, both literally and figuratively, and he's never going to get over it. He's gotten to hold her and kiss her, and even though he had convinced himself that he knew they weren't really dating, there was still a part of him that imagined that all of this was real. That wasn't fair to her, or himself. He shouldn't have done any of this.

"Definitely too many." He laughed weakly, and backed away from her. She looked concerned at first, and he saw it, so he had to cover it up.

"Shampoo?" He smiles, and holds the bottle up. She nods and laughs, figuring she had probably made it up in her mind.

He squirts some into his hand, and playfully rubs it into her scalp. She laughs and leans into it, the bubbles going everywhere. Then he helped rinse it out, and then put conditioner in. They splashed water at each other and laughed, and eventually when they started getting pruney they got out. They wrapped towels around themselves, and leaned back against the bathtub while they sat on the floor.

"Hi," Lydia grinned, leaning her head back and looking at him.

"Hi." He smiled back, looking in her eyes.

"You sure you're feeling better?" She asks, reaching over and holding his hand.

"Yeah. I feel great." He laughed, which was mostly the truth. He felt great physically, but not so much mentally or emotionally anymore. She nodded and smiled, and then turned and looked straight ahead at the wall. A few minutes went by before she spoke again.

"I used to sneak out of my room at night and walk around when my parents would fight. I was gone all night once and...they didn't even notice. I was so mad that I told them I hated them both, and didn't speak to them for a week." She gulped, and then continued. "One time I stole money out of my mom's purse just so I could go watch the third Twilight movie. I stole a pack of gum from a store once just because I was bored. I used to dumb myself down so guys would like me, and not feel threatened by me. And I hate my dad, still to this day." She whispered, gulping and still staring ahead at the wall.

"Lydia, what...what are you telling me this for?" He asks softly, watching her.

"You think I'm just this perfect human and I'm not. You and Liam both. It drives me up the wall that I've done these horrible things and everyone thinks I'm perfect all of the time. I'm human too." She tells him softly, and then turns to look at him. She had tears in her eyes, and he was upset because she was.

He gulped and scanned her face, and his eyes settled on her lips. She thought that telling him these things would make him hate her, but it made him love her even more. He loves all of the good things about her, but he also loves all of the bad things.

She turned her face to look away, but he turned it back, and kissed her. Her eyes flickered closed, and she kissed back. He put as much love and care into it as he possibly could. He always thought that maybe, just maybe, if he kissed her hard enough and put enough love into it, she would feel it too. She would feel it, and realize she loves him back. He knew it was stupid and ridiculous, but he still tried it anyway.

Her hands moved slowly this time across his skin; his arms, chest, neck. It was gentle and intimate, and so obviously them. It was so easy and natural, but it still made his heart race with every single touch. He knew, that even if they ever did actually get together, that would never go away for him.

And yes, they have had sex, but it wasn't what he wanted from her. He didn't want just her body, he wanted her comfort, her mind, her intelligence, her sarcasm, her love. He couldn't even think about other girls because of his love for her. And he didn't think that just because he loved her, she had to love him back. He wasn't one of those guys. He just couldn't understand how he could possibly feel this much for her, and all she felt was a mild sexual attraction. He didn't know what he could have possibly done in another life to deserve this amount of torture.

It was like pretty much like _'yes, you get a full week of fake dating Lydia that sort of feels real, but in return you get a full lifetime of pain and agony. Also, forgot to mention, you don't really have a choice. Good luck!'_

"I was so scared yesterday." She whispered between her soft kisses, like all of this was for comfort and thankfulness more than pleasure.

"I'm glad you were there with me. I heard you talking to me, even when I was sleeping. It helped me come back." He admitted, feeling her pause for a split second, and then she reciprocated again.

He had been debating on whether to tell her that or not, because he still didn't know what she had said after she blacked out. It could have been something tiny, meaningless, but it could have also been something huge, life-changing. And he didn't know which one it was.

"I didn't think you were awake," She laughs nervously, pulling away. "What all, um, did you hear?"

"You were just talking about, you know, how you...couldn't live without me." He looked at her, trying not to laugh.

"God, you're the worst!" She laughs, blushing as she playfully hit his arm. "I thought you were dying. I deserved the moment."

"Yeah, I guess so." He laughed, and leaned his head back so he could stare at the ceiling.

"When are we going to tell them…" She whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. It was vague, but he knew what she was talking about.

"Let's do it tomorrow after school, okay? We can all meet up somewhere." He replied quietly, stroking her hair.

One part of him wanted all of this to be over, but another, bigger part of him wanted it to last forever.

"Yeah. Sounds great." She looked up at him and smiled, and his heart started to pound again.


	50. Kind of Guy

"Hmm, which movie do you wanna watch?" Lydia sighed, browsing through her huge DVD collection residing by her TV.

"Anything is fine. I'm just happy to not be at school right now." He laughed, leaning back against the bed and closing his eyes with deep relaxation.

They had laid back against the bath tub for only a few more minutes, before they got too cold to only lay there, still wet, with only a small towel wrapped around each of their bodies. They had gotten dressed, and made their way back into her bedroom. He's in sweatpants and boxers, and she's in his shirt and underwear. His shirt, which she looked way better in than he did, by the way.

"God, I know." She laughs, opening a DVD case and putting it in. Then she sighs, walks over to the bed, and crawls in next to him. The blanket was huge and warm, and with her right beside him, this is probably the most comfy and cozy that he's ever been. "I always appreciate my skip days more than I do my weekends. I don't know why."

"I do that too." He admitted, hearing the commercials start as he nuzzled his face against her neck. She laughed and squirmed, and pressed her hand to his chest.

"That tickles," She laughs, instinctively scrunching her neck up and trying to dodge his touch. Then he snaked his arm around her waist, poking her sides, and she started laughing uncontrollably.

"Stiles!" She laughed, breathlessly, trying to push his hands away from her ticklish sides. Then, in between laughs, she snorted. He paused, and his mouth dropped open in a half-smile. She slapped a hand over her mouth, and shut her eyes.

"Did you just snort?" He gasps, pretending it was some huge deal even though he couldn't care less. He knew she was humiliated by it, though, so he had to at least mess with her a little about it.

"No!" She answered immediately, her face burning. "I did not."

"I'm just messing with you, Lyd." He laughed, wrapping his arms around her and laughing against her collarbone. "Besides, it was cute."

"Cute?! Oh my God." She whined, covering her face with her hands. "That was far from cute."

"Come on, you know I don't care. I just had to tease you about it. Everyone snorts, Lydia, Jeez." He smiles, tugging at her hair.

"This is embarrassing. Can we just forget it?" She breathed in, still covering her face.

"Yeah. It's forgotten." He laughs, laying his head on her stomach and turning to watch the movie that was now at the menu. He felt her muscles relax, as she laid back against a pillow.

"Thanks." She laughs, sighing with relief. She pressed play on the remote, and they watched the movie in silence. It was some romance movie he had already seen before, so he couldn't pay much attention. Especially since she running her fingers through his hair, and her thumb across his neck absentmindedly.

"Hey, Lyd?" He whispers about ten minutes into the movie, turning his head to look at her.

"Yeah?" She asks, smiling at him. That made him almost think twice about saying what he was thinking about saying. Almost.

"Do you think you could snort again? It kinda turned me on a little." He looks at her, trying really, really hard to hold back a smile.

"I hate you!" She laughs, flicking his arm.

"What'd I do?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows as if he's pretending not to know.

"God, Stiles, I thought you really had to tell me something. Turn back around and watch the movie." She commanded, trying not to laugh. He smiled finally, leaned in, and kissed her cheek.

"Okay, okay, I'm done now. I had to." He laughed, snuggling against her side like a kid.

"Yeah. You had to." She laughed, laying her cheek against his head. Then she rubbed her hand on his arm, and sighed.

"Hey, Stiles?" She says quietly, five minutes later.

"Hmm?" He replies, blinking his eyes drowsily.

"We should tell them today. Tell them the truth." She whispered again, and his muscles tensed. He sat up, turned, and looked at her.

"Really?" He asks, searching her face for any sign of humor. There wasn't any.

"Yeah. They'll be over here after school, anyway, checking on you. They'll be worried. It'll be the perfect time." She smiles weakly, and he bites the inside of his cheek. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm great. That's a really good idea, is all." He gives his best smile, and she smiles back. He could see her nervousness though.

"I'm glad you think so." She answers, nodding. He didn't like the fact that she was so ready to do this. But then again, he didn't like any of this. Except the kissing part. And a lot of the other stuff, actually.

"I'll text them to come over after school. It's almost two now. It'll be just over an hour when they get here." He pulls his phone out, and focuses on it as much as he can. He didn't want to think about having to tell them.

"Okay." She smiles, turning back to watch the movie.

He wanted her to be sad or upset or something. He wanted to see that she cared that they wouldn't be able to kiss each other anymore, or care about how they wouldn't see each other near as much anymore. He just wanted her to care.

He texted them, and told them to come over after school. Then he put his phone on the night stand, and silently laid back down beside her. It was all awkward now. Well, not awkward exactly, but now he was sad and upset, and he couldn't shake the feeling off. So the room is now full of unspoken tension, and it was killing him. He wanted the last hour with her to be fun and happy, but he didn't think that was going to be the case.

Then his phone buzzed, and he opened the text.

"They said they'll come." Stiles told Lydia, and she looked at him and smiled with a small nod. It didn't reach her eyes, though.

"Hey, you okay?" He sat up, asking softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She laughs, keeping her eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Lydia." He sighed, grabbing the remote and pausing the movie.

"Hey, I was watching that!" She exclaimed, annoyed.

"I'm trying to talk to you and you won't even look at me because of that goddamn movie!" He yelled right back, clenching his jaw. He's so angry at her. For so many reasons; not just the stupid movie.

And the worst part is that he knew it was his fault. He had this built up anger with her and the world, even though it wasn't her fault. She wasn't obligated to like him. That's not how it works, and he never, ever wanted to be those guys that thought that, either. It's just the fact that he knows it's all his fault, because he's the one who let this get so far, and he's the one who agreed to it. He just hated admitting to that.

"I told you I'm fine! What else do you want from me?!" She furrows her eyebrows, angry and confused at his sudden hostility.

"I just want you to talk to me! I can tell when something's wrong, Lydia, so you can stop pretending." He lowered his voice, but stared intensely in her eyes.

"I'm not pretending. Now hand me the damn remote." She demanded, and tried to grab it. He grabbed it first, though, and instinctively threw it across the room away from them.

"Oh my God!" Her mouth dropped, and she looked even more furious than she did before. "You know what? Fine. I'm going back to sleep."

"What? No way! We slept for like twelve hours!" He sighed, throwing his hands in the air. He couldn't get through to her and it was driving him completely insane.

"Wake me when they get here." She sighed, pulling the blanket up to her chin, and shutting her eyes. He ripped the blanket off of her, and threw that across the room, too.

"I just want to know what's wrong!" He raised his voice again, practically pulling his hair out with frustration.

"It's nothing, okay?! I just...I just don't want us to stop being as close after this. I want us to still hang out and everything." She lowers her voice to a whisper, and looks down at the sheets.

"Come on, Lyd, we will. We hung out before all of this happened, so why wouldn't we after?" He replies softly, now feeling badly for the way he had been acting.

"We never hung out together before; not one-on-one like this. Well, not much, at least. I don't want it to end just because we aren't fake dating anymore. That's one good thing that came out of this." She blinks, and then looks up at him timidly. It was hard for her to admit to any sort of feelings, so he never took it for granted when she did.

"That won't happen." He assures her and sits up and puts his hand on hers. "You're like...my best friend, you know? I don't think that can go away that fast."

"Promise?" She smiles, tugging at the hem of her (his) shirt.

"Yeah. Besides, we only acted like a couple while we were around them, anyway. We hung out at each other's houses all week in our own free time. We'll be fine." He tells her, and she snuggles against his side for comfort.

It made him feel good that she wanted to see him after all of this, and she didn't want them to stop hanging out. Truthfully, he was glad she brought it up, because he was too embarrassed to. He didn't want to flat out tell her he wanted to still hang out with her after all of this; he thought it would be weird. He was annoyed that he felt that way, too, because if they're as close as they say they are, he shouldn't mind. It would be normal in her eyes. But because of they way he feels about her...he's always torn on whether what he's thinking is on a friendship level, or on a 'I've been in love with you for years' level. So that's why he usually ends up not saying anything at all.

"I can't believe I've seen you naked." She smiles, looking up at him while her hand glides across his torso. It gave him chills.

"I can't believe I've seen _you_ naked." He laughs along with a gulp, but her hand is distracting his train of thought; making it fuzzy.

"I could go for another round." She whispers, just inches away from his lips. Her hand is sliding down his stomach, and then under the waistband of his sweatpants, and oh God, he can't think straight.

"No!" He interrupts, suddenly pulling her hand away and practically pushing her off. Then he lost his balance, and even though he grabbed at the sheets, he still fell to the floor; his hand taking the worst of it. Then he stands up and looks at her, and they're both breathing heavy, and her eyes are wide with confusion.

"No. We can't." He tells her, his voice softer this time. He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He couldn't believe that he's actually turning down a chance to sleep with her again.

"Why not?" She asks, furrowing her eyebrows. She's mad now.

"We're friends, Lydia. And last night was great - it was so great. It's just that...I'm not a 'friends with benefits' kind of guy. I want the real thing. So just...just stop, okay? Please." He asked, his hands shaking. He hoped when he said 'I want the real thing' she took it as 'I want the real thing with someone else' instead of what he actually meant, which was 'I want the real thing with _you_ '.

"Yeah." She visibly gulped, not being able to look him in the eye. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"It's...it's okay. I'm just going to go downstairs until the pack gets here. I need space for a little while. Just some air." He told her, and she was obviously hurt by his bitter words. He could hardly look at her.

"Yeah. Go ahead." She smiled weakly, her hands folded neatly on her lap.

He trudged down the stairs, and plopped down on the couch. He stared at a wall for a few minutes, thinking, before finally burying his face in a pillow and trying to forget the whole thing.


	51. Big Reveal

"They're here, Lydia!" Stiles yelled upstairs, pacing back and forth and wiping his sweaty palms on his pants.

He had just laid motionless on the couch for the past hour. He had heard her walking upstairs, but she didn't come down, and he didn't go up. He wished he hadn't been so harsh with her. This all felt so petty; especially right now.

She trudged downstairs soon after he called, but didn't once even glance his way. It hurt, but he knew he deserved it. He just wished it hadn't been right before he told them the truth, because he would have no one to talk to. Scott, Kira, and Liam would all be mad at him, and now, so will Lydia.

"Let's just get this over with." She huffed, crossing her arms coldly.

She was now wearing her sweatpants and her shirt, and he was standing there like an idiot in only pajama pants. He instinctively crossed his arms over his chest insecurely, and waited for them to walk in.

His foot is tapping against the floor, but when Liam pushes the door open, his movements stop, and he freezes. Liam's laughing at something either Kira or Scott had said, but when he sees them, he stops in he doorway.

"Um...you guys okay? Stiles?" Liam looks at him expectantly, thinking they were only there just to check up on him. Liam must have sensed the tension, because he narrowed his eyes, and stared them down.

Even though it was only a few seconds, it felt like years before Scott and Kira came in behind him, accidentally bumping into him.

"Stiles! So you feel better?" Scott asked, a bright smile on his face as he advanced towards him, and hugged him.

"Yeah. Yeah, dude, I feel great." He told him, faking a laugh. Scott, like always, felt the hesitation. He was pretty sure it was his wolf-y powers, but he wasn't sure. He just knew it was super annoying.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Scott asks, pulling back and looking between Stiles and Lydia. She looked at the floor.

"What? What's going on? Are you okay, Stiles?" Kira asks softly, suddenly in a panic.

"I'm fine!" He laughs, putting his hands on Scott's shoulders, looking in his eyes.

"I noticed something was up when I first walked in." Liam cut in, and Stiles shot him an 'I'm gonna friggin' kill you' look.

"Are you guys fighting or something? We'll leave if you want." Kira half-smiles, grabbing Scott's arm and starting to walk backwards slowly.

"Don't leave!" Lydia finally says something, holding her hand out to stop them. "I mean...please don't go. Not yet."

"I feel this weird tension between you guys, and I really don't want to be in the middle of it, so…" Scott laughs awkwardly, moving back along with Kira.

"God, how could you even know that? Never mind, the point is that we have something to tell you. It's pretty big, so please just sit down and don't say anything until we're finished." He ran his words together, and then breathed in deeply.

"Please tell me you've been using protection. I know you two were kind of out of it a little last night, but-" Scott starts to say, but Stiles groans, rubs the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, we used protection, but will you please stop with the guessing game and sit down for a second?" He sighs, waving his arm in the general direction of the couch.

"Please just listen, okay? It will be hard enough to tell you, so it would make it so much easier if you would just...hear us out." Lydia licked her lips, and they all nodded. They knew it was serious now, so they all sat back, and kept quiet.

Lydia looked at him, finally looked at him, and gulped. He could tell how scared she was. So right now, despite how mad at him she is, she grabbed his hand.

"Me and Lydia...we aren't really dating. It was all just a huge prank." Stiles tells them quietly, but just loud enough for them to hear. Then a look of relief crossed all of their faces, and Kira leaned her forehead on Scott's shoulder while she laughed.

"Um…" Lydia looks at them and then to Stiles, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"Thank God. We thought you were dying or something." Scott laughed, shaking his head. He sat up and made his way to the kitchen, still laughing. "You are getting better at this acting thing; I'll give you that."

"Scott, stop." Stiles said seriously, and the grin immediately disappeared from all of their faces. Scott stopped walking, and turned back around. They thought this was all a joke.

"I'm not...this is serious. Us dating was just a stupid prank, okay? We were trying to mess with you guys." Stiles admitted, looking up at the ceiling so he wouldn't have to see their faces.

Kira glanced down at their intertwined hands, and Lydia insecurely pulled hers away, and let his fall against his leg. The comfort of her hand had been helpful, but he realized that if they were really going to convince them that they weren't really dating, it would probably be best if they weren't holding hands.

"What do you mean?" Scott asks, moving to sit back down again. They all looked completely confused.

"It all started last Friday night. We told you we went upstairs and cuddled, and that Stiles told me he loved me, and we started dating. What really happened, is we went up there because we couldn't sleep, and I came up with this stupid prank. I told him that I wanted to get back at you guys for always pushing us to be together, so I came up with the shitty idea that we could fake dating for a few days, and then tell you guys it was all a joke. Then you would stop making fun of us, I guess." She explained, her voice shaking. "Um…" She went on, trying to compose herself and not cry. Stiles stared at the floor. "Stiles agreed, so the next morning is when we started. We realize how stupid it was. We really do. We didn't think you would be as...happy as you were."

"We kept trying to tell you it was fake because we felt horrible, but something would always happen where we couldn't. The longer it went on, the harder it was to tell you. We're so sorry." Stiles whispered, finally diverting his eyes to Scott.

They were all silent. It was getting worse and worse, but finally Scott looked up at him.

"So she doesn't know then?" Scott gulps and rubs his chin, staring right back at Stiles.

"What don't I know?" Lydia looked between Stiles and Scott, confused. Stiles hoped that Scott could see the pleading in his eyes to not push it any further. He couldn't imagine a worse time for her to find out.

"Never mind." Scott looks away and sighs. He could never be mad enough at Stiles to out him like that.

"So what about all of the times where you guys would sneak off together? Or make out even when we weren't watching? I bet that was all fake too, huh?" Liam narrows his eyes, watching them.

"No. That...I can't explain that. We were both in on the lie, so we grew closer. And yeah, sometimes we would do stupid stuff, but it's nothing. It was all nothing; it didn't mean anything to us." Lydia told them, her eyes begging them to believe her.

"You guys had sex last night, though, right? And let me guess, that didn't mean anything either…?" Kira asked, looking at Lydia. Lydia turned away.

"Okay, I'm kind of feeling attacked here." Stiles half-laughed, half-cleared his throat awkwardly.

"This is bullshit!" Liam bursted out, standing up. His eyes glowed red, and he was clenching his fists angrily.

"Whoa!" Stiles yelled, instinctively putting an arm across Lydia for protection. "Calm down, Liam!"

"Liam!" Scott exclaimed, quickly standing up. He put his hands on Liam's shoulders, and looked him in the eyes. He whispered something to him, trying to calm him down.

"What the hell is going on here? Why is Liam so upset?" Stiles asks, confused now more than ever.

"Oh, God, the full moon is tonight." Lydia closed her eyes and breathed in, like she couldn't believe she had forgotten. "We're so stupid. The smallest thing could set him off."

Finally Scott got him settled down. Now he's on the couch, breathing heavily through clenched teeth. At least he's on the couch, though.

"Look. It was a huge mistake. We didn't think it through. If we would have known how you guys would have reacted, we would have never done it." Stiles sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"You knew. You knew how we were going to react, Stiles, and you know why. I'm sorry, but I have to go." Scott stood up, and pulled Kira up with him. "Just give us a few days."

The worst part is the fact that Scott is always calm. He never loses his temper, even when Stiles desperately wants him to. Even if it's for selfish reasons, like making himself look better when _he_ loses _his_ temper.

"Stop! Please don't be mad, Scott. You guys were the ones tormenting us about it! How can you blame us for that?!" Stiles asks, raising his voice.

"Stiles," Lydia whispered, knowing he was wrong. He knew it too.

"What we did...that was stupid. It was really stupid, and we were being jerks. If I would have known you guys hated it so much, we would have stopped." Scott admitted, looking Stiles right in the eye. He wanted to look away, but he didn't. "But what you did...that was really wrong. You know it was. And I don't know why you would agree to it since…" He started to say, but then he remembered Lydia was standing right there, so he stopped himself. "It doesn't matter. It just wasn't right."

"Just yell at me! I know you want to, so just freaking do it!" Stiles clenched his jaw, following Scott towards the door, and slamming it shut before he could fully open it. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, so just hit me or something! Just punch me. You'll feel better."

"I'm not going to punch you, Stiles." Scott sighed, crossing his arms. "I can be mad at you without punching you, believe it or not. I don't even want to."

"You should! I've lied to you! I've been the worst friend ever, just p-" He starts to say, and then suddenly feels something rock-hard slam into his jaw. His back hits the wall with a loud thud, and it knocks the breath out of him.

"Holy shit, Liam!" Stiles cried out, feeling throbbing pains as he holds his face.

"Stiles!" Lydia gasps, crouching down and worriedly scanning his face for injury.

"Scott wasn't going to, so I did. You deserved it." Liam told him, shrugging his shoulders like it was nothing.

"Okay, I really did deserve that." Stiles admitted, wincing in pain from just saying those words. Kira didn't say anything, but her hand was over her mouth with worry for him.

"Oh God…" Scott sighs, overwhelmed by all of the sudden commotion. "We're leaving. I'll see you tomorrow, Stiles. Put some ointment on that."

"I will. I'm sorry." Stiles said again, looking at Scott with sincere eyes. Scott nodded, and Stiles knew that that is the best he's going to get right now. He didn't even deserve that much, but Scott is too good of a person to stay mad for too long.

They all shut the door behind them, and Lydia pulled Stiles up, and helped him to the kitchen. She guided him to a chair, and he winced with every movement.

She went to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack, and then sat down in front of him in a stool.

"I hope you know you did this to yourself." She sighed, setting the ice pack down on the table so she could examine his jaw. He winced as she ran her fingers across it, getting a good look.

"That went alright. Better than I thought it would." Stiles admitted, trying to keep the talking to a minimum.

"I'm just...glad it's over." She sighed again, and he thought that this must be a record for how many times someone has sighed in one hour.

They were silent for a few minutes as she analyzed his jaw. They were both still shocked from everything that happened, so silence seemed like the best option.

"It's already bruising," She whispered, looking up at him. They stared at each other three beats too long. She cleared her throat and looked away to grab the ice pack. He could tell she was trying not to cry.

When she turned back to him, she was looking down, with tears in her eyes. She tried not to let him see the tears as she put the ice pack against his jaw.

"Lydia…" He said quietly, trying to find a way to console her. He knew she must be completely overwhelmed with everything, and she always calms him down, so he figured he would try and do the same for her.

"I'm still mad at you, you know." She interrupted, cutting him off. She glanced in his eyes for a second, tears about to spill from her own, before she looked down again at the floor. "Just because you got punched doesn't mean you have a free pass."

"I know." He murmured, and his voice sounded a lot more seductive than he wanted it to, because Lydia looked up at him. His hand slid up her wrist, and then up over her hand that had been holding the ice pack against his cheek. His eyes bored into hers, and she swallowed thickly. There were so many things going through his head right now, but only one stood out.

He didn't even _mean_ for any of this to happen; he had just been trying to comfort her. But one of those famous _'Stiles and Lydia painful tension'_ moments happened, and it was impossible to get out of.

His fingers slid around the back of her neck, and his thumb ghosted across her jaw as they stared at each other. He looked down at her lips, and she parted them so she could let out her heavy breaths. He leaned in slowly, and glimpsed between her eyes and her mouth, before finally pressing his lips to hers.

He saw fireworks behind his eyelids. God, he could practically hear them, because the way she made him feel was strange and exciting and the love he held for her felt like it could finally become manageable when they were this close.

Her lips tasted salty from tears, but they were still soft and tender against his.

All of the sudden she pulled away from him, and pushed his hand off of her. The ice pack dropped to the floor, and she stood up; breathing heavily and clenching her fists.

"I'm so sorry - I must have totally misread that-" He tries to explain, trying to ignore the pain in his jaw.

"You can't do that anymore, Stiles." She breathed out, licking her lips and shaking her head.

"I know. I know, I thought it was one of those times; it was stupid. I just got caught up, I'm so sorry. I really am." He laughed, even though it wasn't funny at all. It was more of a _'desperately trying to save himself'_ kind of thing.

"Please just...just get out. Get out of my house and go home, Stiles."


	52. Alone

He knew it was his fault that he was all alone. He had lied to all of his friends, and then on top of that, he had kissed Lydia. He deserved it all, but that didn't make him feel any better.

He's never been good at being alone. Even when he has been alone in the past, he always had _someone_. When him and Scott fought, he still had Kira, or Liam, or Lydia. But now...no one. He has officially pissed off every single one of his friends.

So he laid on his bed, and stared up at the ceiling. It's Monday night, probably around nine P.M. now. He wanted to sleep, but he knew if he went to sleep now, he'd probably wake up a million times during the night. He probably would anyway.

When Lydia told him to get out, his heart shattered. He understood, of course, but he thought she would understand why he did it. He thought she would understand that it was going to take some getting used to, and it would take some time to realize it wasn't okay anymore. But he knew that wasn't it, and obviously, by her reaction, she knew it too. He hated that he's become one of those stupid jerks who always thinks there's a 'moment'. But wasn't there?

He didn't want to think about that now. It wouldn't help, and all it's doing is making him feel worse. A lot worse.

One thing he knew, is that Scott is more upset than he is mad. His dad was right; all he wanted was for Stiles to be happy. So he's mad about the lying part, but he's mostly just upset because he knows how much Stiles loves Lydia, and how much he's hurting and he didn't tell him.

So he knew that Scott will probably be in contact with him soon, making sure he's okay. So until then, he just has to stay sane. He knew he needed to give them all time, so he's going to sit back, and wait for them to forgive him. No matter how long it might take.

He really hopes it isn't long.

He lays in bed all night. He gets up once or twice to use the bathroom and grab food, but that was about it. He was the definition of 'slob' right now, but he didn't care. He was tired and upset, and had no one to talk to about anything. He's miserable, and it's only been a few hours.

He knew he had to find a way to pass the time, so he grabbed a tub of ice cream from his freezer, puts in the 'Never Been Kissed' DVD that Lydia had left at his house, and then climbed into bed. It was kind of a girl thing to do, but it actually really, really helped pass the time. And it was pretty comforting, too.

Eventually, around eleven, he fell asleep. It was restless and horrible, but he managed to at least get a few hours in before his alarm clock went off.

He debated even going to school. The only thing that would happen is that he would have to see Scott, Kira, and Liam, and probably even Lydia, too. It would be awkward for everyone, and he got, like, two hours of sleep, so he knew he must look horrible. Plus his jaw hurts even worse now, so it probably looks it too.

But then again, for things to actually ever go back to normal, he had to pretend it was already. He knew he couldn't lay around and act pitiful all the time (even if he really, really wanted to), and he's also missed way too many classes the past few weeks. He groaned loudly as he got out of bed, knowing it was the right choice.

He took a shower and got dressed, and then plopped back down on his bed again for a few minutes. He looked over at the spot where Lydia always lays when she stays over, and he feels a physical pain in his chest from how much he misses her.

The past week was pretty much a dream come true. They had dinner together, made out all of the time, acted all mushy and gross in public, kissed, had _sex_. She even admitted to being attracted to him, which he never even thought was possible.

It should have been a dream come true, but it wasn't. It heightened his love for her about tenfold, making everything so much worse. Now he's pretty sure he would have to get in a plane and fly across the whole world and never see her again if he wanted to ever really get over her. That probably wouldn't work, either, in all honesty, but he would like to think at least _something_ could. Some day.

He stood up and looked in the mirror for the first time this morning. He hadn't when he went into the bathroom earlier to take a shower, or even when he had been getting dressed. But now, looking at himself, he wished he hadn't.

Even though he had showered and washed his hair, it was still messy and sticking up in weird places. And then his face looked like he had been dead for multiple days, and risen from his grave. His jaw was still swollen and bruised in an ugly purple color, and he had the worst dark circles around his eyes probably in history. He looked sick, and he kind of felt like it, too.

Finally he sighed, realizing he couldn't do anything about it, and left for school.

"Christ," He whispered under his breath, because the first person he noticed when he walked into school was Lydia. Of course. He sort of knew where he stood with Scott; he was upset, but they would be okay in a few days. With Lydia...that's a different story.

She had told him to get out of her house. He had stupidly kissed her, misreading the moment completely, and she kicked him out. He had tried to apologize a few more times, but she was upset, and he knew he should just leave her alone. So he had. And now he had no idea what was between them. Is she mad? Upset? Over it? He wasn't sure, so he was going to play it safe and just wait for her to contact him just in case.

He made his way to class, pretending like he hadn't seen her. He was pretty sure she did the same thing, because she walked right past him, and didn't even glance his way once. It hurt, yeah, but he didn't really expect anything anyway. So he powered through it, and went to class.

Like always, he couldn't focus. Especially when everyone in class is staring at his dark, swollen jaw, and wondering who beat the shit out of him. He ignored it, and, like a zombie, went to his next class. The same thing happened in that one, too. And the next.

He sat alone at lunch. He figured Lydia had probably left by now since she usually only stayed around after lunch because of him. So he ate a few bites of a sandwich, and then fell asleep on a bench until the bell rung so he wouldn't have to see Scott and Liam and Kira all around a table, laughing together.

"Hey, you okay?" Jenna Wigg asked him in Chemistry, whispering so the teacher wouldn't hear.

"Oh, um," Stiles laughed and blushed, holding his hand over his jaw. She's really pretty. Like _really_ pretty, and he had absolutely no idea why she would be talking to him right now. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?"

"I'm great. But _I_ don't have a huge bruise on my jaw, either, so…" She smiles, propping her chin on her fist. He laughs awkwardly, because he had just humiliated himself. She didn't seem like she cared, though, so he forgot about it.

"Yeah." He laughs, looking down at his desk.

"Well hey, you're really cute and I'm free this weekend. We should catch a movie or something." She said, and he just about choked on his own spit. Is she asking him out? "If you aren't dating Lydia Martin, that is. Are you? I've heard so many rumors, I don't know what's true or not. No hard feelings if you are."

"No, we aren't together. We're just good friends. So, um…yeah. That actually sounds great." He smiles, completely in shock.

"Cool. Maybe you can tell me happened to your face over pasta then." She smiles, and then turns back to the teacher.

"Yeah." He replied, his cheeks hurting from his huge, idiotic smile.

What are the odds of this happening the day after he realizes he'll never be with Lydia? He took it as a sign of fate. It's time to finally get over her, and now's his chance.


	53. Days

**Wednesday:**

He had built up in his mind everything that could go wrong. Like how Jenna had probably realized how stupid she was being the other day, and switched seats so she wouldn't have to face him again. Or switched classes. Or schools.

But like always, his mind made everything worse than it really is. He was almost in a panic right before chemistry class, just _thinking_ about what could go wrong. Finally he forced himself to go in. She looked at him and smiled when he sat down.

"Your jaw is looking a little better." She smiles, and watches him sort out all of his notebooks and pencils on his desk.

"It is?" He laughed, pressing his fingers against it. He made a pained face at that.

"A little." She measured with her thumb and index finger, narrowing her eyes with a smile on her face.

"It doesn't feel like it." He laughs and sighs, and then the bell rings.

"Can't wait to hear the story." She smiles, lowering her voice to a whisper as the teacher shuffles in. "Pick me up at my house Friday at five?"

"Yeah. That sounds awesome." He nods, and she winks at him and then turns to the teacher. His heart is racing.

They exchange numbers after class, and go their separate ways.

He still hasn't talked to Lydia or Scott or Liam or Kira.

 **Thursday:**

It was easier for him to get out of bed this morning, because he finally had something to look forward to. He's excited for class, believe it or not, because he gets to see her. He's not over Lydia, of course, but he's really trying to. For once, he feels like he's on the right track to make that happen.

He's seen Scott and Liam and Kira around, but he misses them. They smile at him in the halls, but still no contact yet.

Lydia, on the other hand, he hasn't seen since Tuesday morning. Either she's been really good at dodging him, or she hasn't shown up to school at all the past few days. He misses her too, like crazy.

"So where are you taking me tomorrow night?" Jenna asks, watching him, like always, as he sits down at his desk next to her.

"Um, I was thinking that pasta place downtown. It's really good, and you said something about pasta. Is that okay?" He asks, realizing that the last time he went, Lydia was with him. It had felt like a date.

"Oh yeah. I've only been once; it was really good." She grins, showing her dimples. It reminded him of Lydia. He shook that thought away immediately.

"Awesome." He smiles, looking into her beautiful dark-brown eyes. "Tomorrow at five."

"Tomorrow at five." She confirms with a nod, and the bell rings, so they both turn to the teacher, smiling.

 _'Let me guess'_ , he read the first part of the text message, smiling like an idiot in his bed. _'You ran into a wall, but you're trying to be all cool and mysterious by not telling anyone how you got that giant bruise on your face?'_

Jenna had texted him about two hours after school. He was so surprised by it, that his phone actually fell out of his hands, and onto the floor. Now they've been talking for half an hour, and he's in such a good mood that he felt like he could actually breathe again. She's so easy to talk to, and it's refreshing.

 _'Close. But not quite.'_ He replied, and pressed send. He stared up at the ceiling, waiting for her to answer back.

They texted until they fell asleep.

 **Friday:**

Tonight's their date, he thought, the moment he woke up.

He went to school, happy and excited and nervous at the same time. Until he saw Lydia.

He thought he was fine. After talking to Jenna and setting up a date, he really thought he was going to survive without Lydia. But now, seeing Lydia standing at her locker, he didn't think so anymore.

It's all so ridiculous. Everyone has a childhood crush. Why can't he be like everyone else and get over the stupid crush? But he knew it wasn't something as little as a 'crush' anymore. It was so much more, and he hated it.

"Sorry!" Someone apologized, after bumping into him. He hadn't realized it, but he was standing in the doorway of the school, just staring at her.

"My bad." He replied and gulped, tightening the grip on his backpack before walking to first period. Just seeing her had ruined his whole day. She hadn't even done anything.

He decided to not let this dampen his spirits. He had an amazing chance now to get over her that was probably given by the Gods, and he definitely couldn't risk losing it. He couldn't spend the rest of his life being miserable because a girl doesn't love him back. It's going to be hard, but he knows it's time to move on. He loves her and wants her to be happy, and if that's not with him, then that's okay.

"Stiles!" Stiles heard Kira's voice on his way to lunch, so he turned on his heels to look at her. She caught up to him and smiled, pulling him in for a hug.

"Hey, Kira." Stiles smiled too, hugging her back.

"We miss you. Will you have lunch with us?" She asked, looking up at him.

"God, yes. I miss you guys too; so much." He sighed, and smiled. This day might just be better than he thought.

"Thank god. We missed you the second we left Lydia's house, but Scott knew he shouldn't just forgive you right away, even though he had. He didn't think it was right to just pretend like nothing happened, so he decided to just wait a few days. He hasn't been himself, Stiles. He misses you like crazy. Liam won't admit it, but he does too." She laughed, and looked down at the floor. "He knows you've been hurting and it's killing him."

"I understand why he did it. I deserved so much worse for lying to you guys like that; he's too good." Stiles sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Everyone does dumb stuff sometimes, Stiles. Besides, we have tons of questions, so let's go." She smiled, grabbed him by the arm, and led him to the table they all sit at. Scott stood up and smiled as Stiles approached.

"I missed you so much, man." Scott hugged him tightly, and Stiles hugged back. He's so happy.

"I missed you too." Stiles answered, never wanting to let go. He always takes Scott for granted, because when he doesn't have him, he has no one.

"Sit down. We have things to discuss." Scott laughed, and pulled away.

"I guess I missed you too." Liam rolls his eyes, trying to hold back a smile.

"Same here. I looked at the huge bruise on my face every morning to remember you by." Stiles said, dramatically rubbing at the spot. They all laughed, and he breathed in a sigh of relief to have this familiarness back in his life.

"I really want to say I'm sorry for what we did. It was stupid and reckless and selfish. I feel horrible." Stiles admitted, looking at all of them.

"It's forgotten." Scott smiled, and Stiles felt a huge weight lifted off of his shoulder.

"So where is Lydia, anyway?" Liam asks, munching on his chips.

"Uh...yeah. I haven't spoken to her since Monday either." Stiles looks down at the table, and starts nervously ripping at a napkin.

"What? Why not?" Kira asks, looking worried.

"After you guys left Monday, we went into her kitchen and she put an ice pack on my jaw. We were...well I _thought_ we were having a moment, so I kissed her." He admitted, and they all gasped at the same time, and leaned in closer; desperately waiting for more details. "And then she kicked me out of her house. I haven't talked to her since."

"Oh my God." Kira sighed, closing her eyes.

"Dude. You need to talk to her. Like tonight." Scott told him, as serious as ever.

"I can't do that." Stiles sighs, biting his lip anxiously.

"Why not?" Liam asks, narrowing his eyes.

"Because I…" He starts to say, and then gulps. "I have a date tonight."

"What?! With who?" Kira asks, slapping a hand over her mouth.

"Jenna Wigg. She asked me out." He smiles, and they all fall silent. "What? You don't like her or something?"

"No, we do, it's just...she's not _Lydia_ , Stiles." Scott tells him, and his heart sinks.

"I know. I know that, but it obviously isn't going to work out with Lydia. She doesn't like me like that. I don't think she ever will. I think it's past time that I accept that." He bites the inside of his cheek, and looks at them. "And I know you guys want us to be together, but this has been really, really hard for me. So I would really appreciate some support. I need it."

"Okay. You got it, man." Scott smiles weakly, and Stiles can see the disappointment on all of their faces.

"That's great, though, Stiles. Jenna's sweet. And really pretty." Kira gives a small smile, and he knows she has to force it. They all really do like Jenna, but just like him, they wish it was Lydia instead. But they're good friends, so they pretend like nothing is wrong.

"Yeah. I really like her. I'm picking her up at five tonight." Stiles tells them, feeling sort of awkward now. "I'm nervous."

"Don't be nervous." Kira laughs, stealing an apple from Scotts tray. "You're cute, smart, and funny. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

"She's right." Scott agreed, reaching across the table to ruffle his hair.

"Do you guys wanna come over after school and help me get ready? I have no idea what to wear." He laughs, and rubs his neck nervously at the thought.

"Definitely." Scott agreed, kissing Kira on the temple.

"Okay, thanks." Stiles sighed with relief, and then the bell rang. "I'll see you guys later, then."

They all said their goodbyes, and Stiles headed to Chemistry. He's nervous.

"Tonight's the night. I'm excited." Jenna says, and he blushes.

"I am too." He smiles, and she laughs.

"I'm glad." She bites her lip, and he has the sudden realization the she's _flirting_ with him. This beautiful, smart, funny girl actually likes _him_. That's really hard to take in.

"I've never been on a real date, so please just go easy on me if I do something stupid." He laughs nervously, and she smiles.

"It's been a while since I have, so I'll go easy on you if you go easy on me." She grins, and he twirls his finger around a piece of paper on his desk.

"Deal." He agrees, and can't help but think of the last time he said that. He gulped thinking about it.

She sent him her address when he got home, and only fifteen minutes after that Scott, Kira, and Liam showed up. He was happy about it, too, because he's freaking out.

"I'm not going." He decided, shrugging his shoulders like it was an easy decision.

"What shirt are you wearing?" Kira asks, browsing through his closet and ignoring his comment. They were all used to his drama, so they never took it as anything serious. He didn't blame them.

"Um...I don't know." He admitted, constantly looking at the time on his phone with anxiety. Liam's laying on Stiles' bed, texting, and Scott is standing in the middle of the room, watching Kira.

"How about this?" She asks, turning around and holding a gray button-up long-sleeved shirt in her hands. "With a black tie, you would look amazing, Stiles. She'll fall in love instantly."

"Really? No she won't," He rolls his eyes, playfully smiling with embarrassment.

"Yes she will! Now shower and put it on." Kira tosses it to him, grinning, and he grabs it and stands up.

"Okay, I'll be out in a second." He laughs, and takes a shower.

Thirty minutes later, he's dressed, and ready to go. Kira helped him fix his hair, Scott tied his tie, and Liam, of course, is still laying on the bed; being completely unhelpful as usual.

"Okay," Stiles breathes in, fixing his tie and standing up straight. He's wearing the gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a thin black tie, black jeans (that he borrowed from Scott) and Vans. "How do I look?"

"So handsome." Kira squeals excitedly, clapping her hands. "Right guys?"

"I still think it should be Lydia you're going with." Liam murmurs under his breath, and Scott punches his leg, making him yelp in pain.

"Yeah, well that's not going to happen." Stiles breathes in, looking in the mirror to fix his tie again.

"You look great, Stiles. Kira's right; she'll fall in love instantly." Scott stands up, and pats his back.

"Thanks you guys. Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you." He laughs nervously, breathes in, and looks at them. "Well I'm about to go. I'm gonna go grab some flowers on the way."

"Get roses! Oh, and Stiles?" Kira says, tapping him on the shoulder. He turns around, and laughs. She's holding his wallet. "Might not want to forget this."

"Yeah. Probably important." He laughs, shoving it into his pocket. "I'll see you guys later. I'll text you when it's over. Thanks again."

They all came in for a group hug, except Liam, who still laid on the bed and rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Liam! You deserve love too." Scott laughed, waving his arm in a motion for him to come over.

"No thanks." He sighed contently, and continued scrolling on his phone.

"Aw, Liam's jealous I'm going on a date with Jenna instead of him. Sorry buddy; I just don't feel that way about you." Stiles put a hand to his heart, giving him a sad look.

"Shut up," Liam laughed, and finally got in on the group hug.

"Okay, I really have to go now. Bye." Stiles breathed in, smiling at them.

They all said their final goodbyes, and Stiles headed out the door. He's nervous, but excited at the same time. He feels like he's finally getting a fresh start, and it feels great.


	54. First Date

He breathed in deeply, and licked his lips as he nervously knocked on her front door. His heartbeat was loud in his ears, as he swallowed thickly. He's holding a bouquet of roses in his hand, and he suddenly wished he had brought a jacket. Number one because it's pretty cold out right now, and number two because he feels like he's drenched in nervous sweat. Before he could continue that thought, though, she answered the door.

"Hey." She smiled, tilting her head to the side and looking up at him. Her dress is black and flowy, and it stops at her knee. She has a sweater on, and blush on her cheeks that mixes perfectly with her brown skin. She straightened her normally-curly hair, and pinned the sides back behind her ears.

"Hey," He replied breathlessly, and rubbed the back of his neck. "You look great. Not that...not that you don't always. It's just, um…" He trailed off, knowing he for sure sounded like an idiot right now. He's flustered and nervous and humiliating himself already.

She laughs, and shakes her head.

"Thanks, Stiles," She smiled, and he smiled back, taking a breath. At least she didn't think he was a weirdo or something. "Are those for me?" She asked, eyeing the roses in his hand.

"Oh yeah. I hope you like roses. I'm not really...traditional, I guess, but it felt like the right thing to do." He gulped and laughed, handing them over to her.

"They're beautiful." She replied, sniffing them and then disappearing in her house to put them in a vase. Her house is huge.

A few minutes later she appeared back at the doorway, and then closed the door behind her. "Ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go." He answered, as she hooked her arm around his, and they headed to his Jeep. "Do you want me to open the door for you?"

"I'm not traditional either, so it's fine." She laughed, squeezing his arm gently as they both went to their separate doors. "This is cute." She said, looking around in his Jeep.

"Thank you. I think you're the first person besides me that it has ever received compliments from." He laughed too, backing out of her driveway.

They had some small talk on the way to the restaurant. It was nice and comfortable, and it helped ease his nerves.

"So what are you ordering?" Jenna asks, peeking up at him over her menu.

"I think the chicken and broccoli Alfredo." He answers, folding up his menu and smiling at her.

"I'm going to get the chicken Parmesan baked ziti." She rubs her hands together like she can't wait.

They ordered when the waiter came, and now they're sitting there waiting. It's pretty packed out since it's a Friday night.

He doesn't know what to talk about, so he just awkwardly looks around the room at random people and pretends it's interesting.

"You're really cute." Jenna tells him out of the blue, and he almost chokes on his Mountain Dew.

"Um..." He laughed, and blushed. "Thank you."

"It's no problem." She laughs, watching him from across the table.

"So, um," he stutters, trying to think of something to say. "Tell me about yourself."

"Hmm. I was born in Brazil. My mom's Brazilian and my dad is Argentinian. We moved to the U.S. when I was two. We lived in Oregon for a while, before my dad got a job offer here about four years ago. So we moved. That's about it." She laughs, and takes a sip of her drink. "Tell me about you."

"There's not much to tell." He laughs, sliding his finger up and down the condensation on his cup. "I've always lived here. My mom died a few years ago, so it's just me and my dad now. I go to school, come home, do homework, go to sleep, repeat."

"I'm...sorry about your mom." She looked at him with sad eyes.

"It's okay; it was a long time ago." He laughs, wiping his cold finger off on a napkin.

He turns his head to glance around the room, and then he did a double-take. Is that Lydia? It is. She's standing at the front counter, waiting for a pickup order. She's in her pajamas. Just last week she was almost _refusing_ to go inside this place in her pajamas, now here she is, in a huge T-shirt and sweatpants. His T-shirt. He's never getting that back.

He was so surprised from seeing her, that he knocked his drink over. Cold liquid spilled all over the table and partly onto him, and the loud noise caused almost everyone in the room to look his way. Including Lydia.

She looked at him once. Then she looked at Jenna. Without even picking up her food, she made a mad dash out the door; leaving the restaurant.

He immediately sat up - he wasn't sure what he was going to do or say, but he has to do something.

"I'll clean this right up sir." A waitress told him, and Jenna is across the table laughing.

"Stiles! You just knocked it right over." She laughs, shaking her head. "What were you looking at?"

"Nothing. I thought I saw someone I knew; my bad. I'm sorry." He told the waitress, laughing.

"It's no problem." She laughed, wiping the last of it up. "Your food should be out in just a moment."

"You okay?" Jenna asked as the waitress walked off. "You look sort of out of it."

"Oh yeah, I'm okay. Do you mind if I go clean up really quick? It spilled on me." He laughed, wiping his hands off on a napkin.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll wait for the food." She smiles, and he nods and gets up.

He felt bad for lying, but he really didn't think it was a great idea to tell her he was about to go see another girl. It's not that it was even _like that_ but it still felt wrong somehow to tell her.

Instead of going to the bathroom, he went out the exit. He quickly spotted Lydia's car, and made his way over to it. He didn't know what he was going to say yet, but he had to say something. Even if they couldn't be together, he couldn't leave it like it was the other day.

He ran to her car because she was about to drive away, and then she spotted him. He climbed in the passenger side right before she could lock the door.

"Why the hell are you avoiding me?!" He asked breathlessly, and she sighed and looked out the window.

"I'm not avoiding you." She replied in a bored voice.

"Oh, okay, problem solved then. I'll go now. Just making sure!" He said sarcastically, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Shut up." She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"You completely ignore me at school. You basically ran out the door when you saw me and Jenna. You literally just tried to lock the doors when I tried to get in your car." He said, feeling sick to his stomach.

"Fine! I guess I may have been avoiding you." She admits, letting out a long, irritated breath. "It's just...I don't know. You shouldn't have kissed me."

"I know that. I was just so used to it before, so it didn't feel like...it didn't feel like it would be that weird. I miss you, Lyd. It didn't mean anything." He lies straight through his teeth. He's getting better and better at it.

"It didn't?" She asks quietly, and looks at him.

"No, of course not. I was just used to all of our fake dating stuff, that's it. Besides, I'm on a date right now. I'm fine." He laughs weakly, and she looks out the window again.

"Yeah. With Jenna Wigg. _Four days_ after we stopped fake dating. And you brought her to a restaurant that you took me to." She says, with a slightly irritated voice.

"It isn't like ours was a date." He snapped back, and she looks at him and crosses her arms.

"I know that." She ground her teeth, glaring at him.

"You know, I really don't want to do this right now, okay? I'm tired of fighting." He sighs with annoyance, and reaches over and uses his hands to shut her eyelids.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She squeaks, slapping his hand away.

"I hate when you glare at me like that! It scares me." He admits, leaning his head on the window.

"Fine, I won't glare at you anymore." She huffs, and he rolls his eyes.

"Fine." He answers, crossing his arms. They were acting like kids, and they both knew it. It was stupid and petty, and God, why the hell did she care if it's the same place anyway? It's all so confusing.

"She's beautiful." Lydia whispers, after a full minute of silence.

"I know." He laughs, and gulps. It's not the same between them anymore, and that's obvious. "She asked me out. Can you believe that?"

"Yeah, I can. You're great, Stiles." She tells him, but she's not smiling anymore. "You look good tonight. A little overly dressed, but still good."

"Thanks." He laughs, swallowing thickly. They both turn and look at each other, and she looks like she's about to cry, and he feels like he's about to. So that's when his coping mechanism kicks in. "I finally made up with the pack, so they helped me come pick out clothes and everything. Me and Kira are getting pretty close now, and I think that makes Scott happy. I'm pretty sure she's living vicariously through me because Scott hasn't taken her on a date in a while. Scott was apparently so upset about leaving me alone that he cried a few times. He didn't realize...that you and I fought. He thought we at least had each other or he would have never left me all alone for those couple of days. We made up, so I'm better now. Oh, and Liam is as rude as ever. That's the only stuff you missed."

"Mhmm. That's good." She says, biting her lip. He's babbling on and on about stupid stuff because he's nervous. Lydia's nodding, but she's not really listening. She looks down at his lips, and he takes in a sharp breath.

"I have to go. I'm on a date." He whispers, breaking the silence. She snapped out of her stare, and looked away. He's falling right back into all of the mind games Lydia plays on him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry for holding you up. Go." She nods, but won't look at him.

"I guess I'll see you later." He says, hesitating his hand on the door.

"Yeah," she responds quietly. "Later."

He knows something is wrong, but he doesn't know what. And he isn't sure it's his place to ask.

So instead of talking, he leans in, and kisses her cheek. It probably lasted longer than it should have, but it didn't matter, because after that, he got out of the car, and walked back inside. He takes a second to compose himself before he looks at Jenna.

"Get it?" She asks, smiling at him as he walks back to the table.

"Mostly. It's impossible to get all of the sticky off." He laughs, sitting down across from her. His food is on the table now, still steaming. He tries to act normal.

"So now that we have our food…" She raises an eyebrow, looking at him. "You should finally fill me in on why you have that bruise."

"It's a really, really long story." He laughs, nervously twirling his fork around his pasta. How is he supposed to tell her this?

"We have a whole plate of pasta in front of us." She shrugs her shoulders, laughing.

"Okay, well...Liam hit me." He told her, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Liam...Dunbar? I thought you guys were friends." She says, furrowing her eyebrows.

"We are. Kinda." He laughs, taking a bite of his food. "So it all started two weeks ago. We have this weekly movie night on Fridays, where our group of friends just lay around and watch movies." He starts, and then goes on to explain the story. Minus the part where he's in love with Lydia, but most of the rest.

"Anyway, Liam has...um, anger problems. So when he found out I had lied, he punched me in the jaw." He told her, realizing how funny it must sound if it's not you in the situation.

"Oh wow. I thought it was just going to be that you accidentally got elbowed in the face or something. That's an...interesting story." She laughs, shaking her head. "You have a crazy life, Stiles."

"Yeah, you could definitely say that." He laughs, scratching at the back of his neck.

"So...you and Lydia." She twirls her fork around her food, and stares down at it. "What's going on there?"

"Just friends. Seriously. Scott and them can be jerks sometimes, you know? They were just messing with us when they bugging us about getting together. It's all good." He laughed, and that seemed to lighten the mood.

"Okay, just making sure." She smiles up at him, looking relieved. "So, it looks like we're both finished with our food. Ready to go?" She asks, pushing her plate up.

"Yeah." He replies, scooting out of the bench and picking up the check.

"Hey, I got this." She laughs, plucking it from his hands and walking towards the front counter to pay it. It reminded him of Lydia.

"I'll leave the tip!" He replies, pulling out his wallet.

"I guess this is goodbye." Jenna sighs, leaning against her front door and looking at him. It's been ten minutes since they left the restaurant, and he's walked her to her door. He's really freaking nervous now, because he knows what comes next. She'll be expecting a kiss, right?

"I had a great time with you." He smiles, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants.

"I had a great time with you too." She laughs softly, and looks up at him through her lashes. She's so beautiful that it's actually breath-taking. "We should really go out again sometime."

"Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I really want to." He nods, smiling. They're silent after that for a second.

"Can I kiss you?" She whispers, glancing at his lips.

"Yeah." He croaked, nodding his head. She grabs his tie, and pulls him towards her. His hand falls on the bricks beside her head, and their lips press together. She lets out a sigh, and her hand is in his hair now. Her lips moved gently against his, and her fingers are soft against his neck. She tastes and smells like vanilla.

Lydia tastes and smells like strawberry.

He pulled away after that thought. He couldn't take it.

"You're good at...that." He backs up, laughing awkwardly. Then he backs into a pillar that's on her patio, hitting his head. "Ouch."

"You okay?" She laughs, covering her mouth like she was trying not to.

"Yeah. Just a bump." He laughs, keeping a comfortable distance. "I'll see you monday."

"Okay, Stiles. See you monday." She shakes her head, smiling. He turns around and starts walking to his Jeep, but then she calls his name, so he turns back around.

"You're good at that too." She grins, and he laughs nervously. "Maybe we can do it again sometime."

"I hope so." He answers, shoving his hands into his pockets. They wave goodbye at each other, and then he gets in his Jeep, and she watches him drive away.

Twenty minutes later he's on his bed, in his pajamas, smiling as he remembered the whole night. She's beautiful, smart, funny, nice, and just altogether amazing. She likes _him_. She wants to go on another date with him, despite the fact that he humiliated himself about a thousand different times.

He didn't see fireworks when he kissed her like he did with Lydia, but he thinks one day he will, if it keeps going the way it's going. He likes her.

He goes to sleep, and thinks about what could happen monday, or tuesday, or any other day. He can't wait to see her again.


	55. Scott

**I think this talk between Stiles and Scott is long overdue, so here it is :)**

* * *

He dreams about Lydia.

He dreams she's kissing him. He doesn't know why, and he doesn't know it's a dream. It feels real.

"I know." She breathes out, rubbing her thumb over his lips.

"You know what?" He asks, looking in her eyes. They're in her bedroom, but it's darker. Not the lighting, just...everything.

"That you wish I was her," She smiles, like she was confused why he was asking. Her hand cups his face, and she presses her forehead to his. "Stop thinking about me, Stiles."

"I can't. I'm trying." He feels a lump in his throat, and panic sets in him for some reason.

"You wouldn't dream about me if you hadn't been thinking about me. You have to stop it if you want to get over me." She bites her lip, sighing.

"Dream?" He asks, blinking his eyes heavily. He looks down at his hands, trying to focus so he can count his fingers. There were eight on each hand.

Suddenly he jolts up in bed, sweating profusely. It was that weird sort of panic you feel after a strange dream that just won't go away. It hadn't happened in a long time, and he forgot how frightening it could be.

Above all of the fright, what it really made him feel was longing for Lydia. His subconscious had been trying to tell him to stop thinking about her, but it did the exact opposite. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Holding her had felt so real.

He misses her.

He unlocked his phone, and saw that it was 4:30 A.M.. He groaned, and rolled over; trying to go back to sleep. With...absolutely no luck. He tried to go over the awesome date last night in his head, but his mind kept trailing back to Lydia, and the look on her face in the car. She makes everything so complicated and confusing.

One second she'll be staring at his lips and telling him she's really attracted to him, and the next second she'll be ignoring him like the world depended on his loneliness meter going up. He couldn't understand what goes through her mind to make her do and say the things she does.

Before he knows it, it's five fifteen, and the sun is starting to rise. He groans really, really loudly and dramatically, and pulls a pillow over his head.

Then, suddenly, there's a loud thump on the wall, and he assumes it's a shoe.

"Be quiet! I only have two hours left to sleep; I'd appreciate it if it didn't consist of your constant whining!" His dad yelled from the next room, and Stiles rolls his eyes.

He finally gets up, not being able to sleep, and puts on a hoodie, sweatpants, and tennis shoes. He grabs his iPod and headphones, and as quietly as he can, goes downstairs. He grabs a granola bar from the kitchen counter, and heads outside. He shoves the granola bar in his pocket for later, puts his earphones in, and starts running.

He runs, and runs, and runs. He doesn't stop. He doesn't care when he runs out of breath, he just keeps going. It helps him focus on his pain rather than Lydia or Jenna or anything else.

After over fifteen minutes of full-on running, he finally stops at a park. It felt like so much longer than fifteen minutes, though, because he's so out of shape.

Not many people are even at the park yet - mostly just runners like him. He pants as he sits on a swing; breathing in and out rapidly. He feels lightheaded, so he pulls out his granola bar and eats it. His heartbeat is thudding in his ears, and his lungs are filled with cold air that makes his throat ache.

The thing is, he thought, is that there is no other option but to get over Lydia. It wasn't a 'Jenna or Lydia' situation. It was a 'I can't freaking get over this girl that I never even dated' situation. He feels like a complete idiot about everything, and he has absolutely no idea what to do.

So he walks to Scott's house. It was about seven fifteen when he finally got there. He opened the door with his key, and went upstairs.

"Scott wake up!" Stiles yells, flipping the light on.

"Stiles! Are you okay?" Scott asks, frantically sitting up and looking around the room. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not okay at all, actually." Stiles complains, plopping down on the bed next to Scott. "I'm lonely and confused and I'm tired of being lonely and confused."

"God, I thought you were being attacked or something." Scott breathes out a sigh of relief, and sits up, rubbing his eyes. "Why do you smell so bad?"

"I was running, okay? I couldn't sleep." He whines, putting his face in his hands.

"Oh, man. Did the date go badly?" Scott asks, patting Stiles' back.

"No, it went great, which is even worse!" He groaned, throwing his hands in the air. Scott furrowed his eyebrows.

"I'm really trying to help but sometimes you make no sense." Scott admits, shaking his head.

"It's just...I don't know, I guess I secretly wanted it to go horribly so I would have a reason to not get over Lydia. But it was amazing and I had such a good time, so I have no idea what to do. I don't even _want_ to get over her." He admitted, breathing in deeply.

"That's tough, Stiles." Scott sighs, and pats his back. "But the thing is, your love for her won't go away overnight. You can grow to love someone else, but not if you're stuck thinking about the other person. I still have trouble sometimes when I think about Alison. I've never felt that way about someone before, and I don't think I ever will. I love Kira just as much, though, but love isn't always going to be the same. It's different with different people, and you have to accept it.

It took me a long time to get over Alison; especially with what happened to her. I always think of what could've been if we had never broken up, or if she hadn't died. I'll never stop loving her, but it's not wrong to try and move on with someone else. Maybe Jenna's that person, maybe not."

"Thanks. That actually really helped." Stiles looked at his hands, and then closed his eyes. "I'm just scared. I'm scared that I'll be having an amazing time with Jenna, and I'll forget about Lydia eventually. But then I'll see her again, even once, and I know I'll fall apart. I know it."

"You probably will." Scott nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "It happens to everyone."

"I don't want it to! I'll think Jenna is enough, but then seeing Lydia again...I always forget the way I feel around her. I don't think I'll feel that way about anyone else." He feels a lump in his throat, and he doesn't want to cry, but he does.

"It'll be okay, Stiles. With time, it'll be okay." Scott pulls him in for a hug, and pats his back supportively. Stiles did the same thing for him when he and Alison broke up. And when she died.

"I'm just naming off problems, so I might as well name this one too. I miss you, Scott. I know I'm sitting right in front of you but I miss you. We should never be apart for more than like, two hours." He half-laughs, half-cries, squeezing Scott even tighter.

"I miss you too. You have no idea, Stiles. Okay, maybe you do, but I was so miserable. I almost called about a thousand times. I just...it was wrong what you did. I wasn't even mad, though, really, even though I wanted to be. I was just so upset that you were upset, and you hadn't told me. I thought space would help me clear my head, but it just made me feel worse, and apparently you too. I didn't mean for that." He sighed, and Stiles is pretty sure he's crying now, too.

"I know. It's over with now. Let's just forget about it." Stiles replied, happy to be here right now. It's always fun when Liam and Kira are around, but it's always been just Stiles and Scott, and it's nice going back to that sometimes.

"So. Do you want to tell me about the date?" Scott asks, pulling away from him a few minutes later.

"Yeah." Stiles sniffs, and they lay their backs against the headboard of the bed.

He tells him all about it. He even tells him the part about Lydia walking in, and him chasing her to her car. Then about him driving Jenna home, and their kiss. He smiled when he talked about it.

"You sound like you had a great time." Scott laughs, looking happy for him. He never wants to take Scott's support for granted ever again.

"I really did." He nods, breathing in. "I'm just confused. I really thought that if I had a good time, I would just stop thinking about Lydia or something. I hope…well do you think I rushed into this Jenna thing? Maybe I'm not ready." He gulps, looking at Scott. "I don't even know why she asked me out. We've talked before, but not very much."

"Kira asked Andrea Barker why Jenna asked you out. She's really good friends with Jenna, and she said that she's just noticed you a lot lately. She realized how cute you were a few weeks ago, but she thought you and Lydia were together. So when you guys 'broke up' she said she wanted to go out with you before you got in another relationship. She said you were really cute and seemed nice, so...yeah." Scott told him, smiling and shrugging his shoulders.

"God. Well she must really not know how unpopular I am." Stiles laughed, a smile plastered to his face.

"This could really be something, Stiles. And as for the whole 'too soon' thing...maybe it is. It might be too soon after Lydia, but I'll support you in whatever you think is right." Scott tells him, and Stiles rolls his eyes.

"But Scott, I need someone to just tell me what to do! It's too confusing for me to decide on my own. I'm having a huge friggin' crisis." He whines dramatically, and falls back on the bed.

"Cheer up, Stiles." Scott smiles, and stands up. "Let's go get breakfast."


	56. Christmas Party

"Listen," Liam said, sitting in the passenger side of Stiles' Jeep.

They had all met up for breakfast, and now they're going to Scott's house to hang out. Liam, strangely, had volunteered to ride with Stiles. Stiles was confused at first, but now he knows why. Liam has been wanting to talk to him.

"This is stupid. I know you're trying to get over Lydia, but you haven't even _tried_ to tell her how you feel about her. We don't think you should give up on this yet." Liam tells him, as sure as ever.

" _'We'_?" Stiles asks, glancing over at him. "Who is we?"

"Me and Kira. And Scott." Liam answers, looking ahead at the road.

"Scott? No, Scott supports me on this." Stiles shakes his head, not believing.

"Stiles, Scott will support you in literally anything you do. He told Kira that he really wants you to try with Lydia, but he'll be with you either way." Liam told him, crossing his arms like he knows he's right.

"Yeah, but Liam…I don't want to lose her. I can't." Stiles explained, gulping and gripping at the steering wheel.

"You already are! You haven't even told her you're in love with her, and you've already almost lost her! How can you not see that?!" Liam confronts him, and Stiles lets out an uneven breath. He's right.

"I'm tired of all of this. What if I tell Lydia and she doesn't feel the same? Then I'll have lost Jenna, too."

"God, Stiles, you shouldn't have Jenna just as a 'back up girl' anyway. That's pretty sick. If you like her then like her; don't just wait until someone better comes along." Liam huffs, and looks out the window angrily.

"Oh my God. I'm being such a scum bag." Stiles' eyes widened, as he had the sudden realization.

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but…" Liam mutters, but Stiles ignores his rude jab. "Look, Stiles. I guess...I'm your friend, and that's why I'm telling you this. Scott wouldn't do it. Someone needed to, and me and Kira agreed that it should be me."

"Thanks...I mean. I didn't even think of it that way." He breathes in, blinking his eyes hard.

"So what are you going to do?" Liam asks, looking over at him.

"I'm not sure. I think...I think I have to break it off with Jenna. It's not right for me to be with her. Not right now, at least." He sighs, and scratches his neck.

"So you aren't going to talk to Lydia?" Liam asks, a harsh edge to his voice.

"I don't know."

And he didn't. Days went by, and he still hasn't talked to her. Not about him being in love with her, or anything else. At all. He hung out with Scott, Kira, and Liam still, but Liam would barely talk to him. He's angry with him, and Stiles didn't blame him.

Above all of that, he's still with Jenna. He's still talking to her in class, and they even talked to each other the whole duration of thanksgiving break. They're dating now. There still hasn't been a word from Lydia.

Jenna eats lunch with the pack every day now. Not Lydia. Jenna is now the one that is always at their movie nights or early breakfasts. Not Lydia.

By three weeks, he and Jenna meet each other at a coffee shop every morning before school.

They always order the same coffees, and it always tastes the same. They always meet at the same time, and they have always have small talk.

He's stirring his finger around the whipped cream in his drink when he hears it.

"Can I get the Pumpkin Spice Latte, two sugars, and an extra pump of whipped cream, please?" He hears, and his head snaps over to where he hears the voice.

"I'm sorry, that's our Autumn-themed drink. We stopped carrying it last week." The barista told her, and she nodded.

"Oh yeah, I knew that. Sorry." She sighs, and laughs. He hadn't seen her in so long. It hurts. "Um...how about a peppermint latte instead, with an extra pump of whipped cream?"

"Isn't that Lydia Martin?" Jenna whispered, probably noticing him staring at her.

"Oh yeah." He laughed awkwardly, and looked down at the table. "It is."

"Well why don't you invite her over here?" Jenna smiles, and Stiles shuts his eyes, and breathes in.

"Hey, Lydia!" Stiles calls her, right as she grabs her coffee. She almost spills it.

"Oh! Um...hey." She smiles, keeping a death grip on her coffee cup as she approaches their table.

"How...Um...How have you been?" He asks, barely even able to maintain eye contact. He's already lost her. "Oh, and this is my girlfriend. Jenna."

"Hey." Jenna smiled, and Lydia smiled back.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Lydia says, taking in a sharp breath. "But I've been great. How was your break?" She asks, gulping as she looks between Stiles and Jenna. This is so incredibly awkward for everyone.

"It was pretty good. Dad got off two days of work." He smiles, and she laughs.

"It's about time," she laughs, looking down at her coffee cup.

"Well hey," Jenna says, glancing between her and Stiles. She's asked Stiles if they had fought, because _'I thought you guys hung out a lot, but I haven't seen you together for a while'_. He's not even sure why they aren't talking, so he just says yes, they had a fight. That's a lot less complicated than the real story. "We're all meeting up at Scott's house after school to watch movies. Wanna come?"

Lydia looks at Stiles with hurt eyes. Their movie night that she had clearly not been invited to for weeks, that she thought had just stopped happening. He feels like shit.

"Yeah, Lyd. Please come." He asks, finally looking her in the eye. He's pretty sure Jenna doesn't know that it used to be Lydia in her place every Friday night. "It's Christmas themed."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll come." She smiles weakly, and Stiles feels a horrible pain in his chest. God, he misses her so much. He hadn't even realized how severe it is until now, seeing her. Like he told Scott would happen.

"Great!" Jenna smiles, and stands up to hug her. "See you then."

"See you guys." Lydia hugs her back awkwardly, and then walks out. She doesn't even look like herself anymore.

"Hey, what happened between you two?" Jenna asks, staring at Stiles.

"We just had a fight. It was stupid." He murmurs, scooping up the excess whipped cream on the inside of his cup.

"Must have been some fight." She answers, obviously feeling the tension between the two of them. "You okay?"

"Yeah. It's nothing." He answers, even though he knows it was definitely not convincing. She doesn't push any further.

Later that day, he and Jenna are at Scott's house. Kira and Scott have always been nice and welcoming to Jenna, even if they weren't exactly happy about their relationship. Liam, on the other hand, is still warming up. He's never been rude to her, but he's always giving Stiles angry glares as soon as Jenna isn't looking. He likes Jenna, but he's mad at Stiles for not listening to him.

Stiles is sitting at the dinner table, while the rest of them are buzzing around the kitchen cooking. He's nervous to see her. He feels horrible for that, too, because he has a freaking girlfriend, but he can't help it. It's _Lydia_.

"Are you alright?" Scott asks quietly, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm good. Seriously." He breathes in, and looks up at him. "It'll just be weird for a little while. I'll be fine."

"Okay." Scott smiled, patted his back, and then went back to the kitchen to help.

Not more than five minutes later, the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it." Stiles told them, and Liam crossed his arms and watched him. He couldn't believe that they've gotten to the point where she has to ring the doorbell to come inside Scott's house.

He breathed in, and opened the door.

"Hi." Lydia whispered, looking up at him.

"Hey." He choked out, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Um…" She looked at the ground, and then back up at him. "Are you gonna let me in? It's cold." She laughs, her nose red and her teeth chattering.

"Oh God. Yeah, come in. Sorry." He laughs, shaking his head and grabbing the food from her hands.

"Hey." Lydia walks into the kitchen, and everyone freezes for a second. Then they all come over for a group hug.

"We miss you." Kira told her, hugging her the tightest of everyone.

Jenna watched them all, smiling as she stood there awkwardly by herself. Stiles went and stood by her, and put his arm around her. She hugged up to him, and smiled.

"I brought some food to contribute." She laughs, and Stiles can tell how happy she is to be back home. He missed how it used to be.

"Here." Kira takes it from her, smiling uncontrollably. She's so happy to have Lydia back around. Everyone is.

"Aww, and I really missed you, Liam." Lydia grins, and pulls him in for a tight hug. Stiles looked away.

"So when's the food going to be ready?" Stiles clears his throat, which causes them to pull apart. He hates being jealous, especially when he has a girlfriend and shouldn't be.

"Just a couple of minutes. Will you set the table, Stiles?" Kira asks, and then Lydia goes and helps her grab the food.

"Yeah, sure." He answers, grabbing the plates. He sets the table, but keeps his eyes on Lydia. He sees her talking and laughing, and it hurts more than he thought it would to see her again.

"You're so cute," He feels arms wrap around him from behind, so he turns, and it's Jenna.

"You're so pretty." He answers, leaning down and kissing her. She smiles into it, and holds him tighter.

"Oh, God, Kira, I'm so sorry!" Lydia gasps, dropping a mug on the floor. It broke and made a loud cracking noise, and Stiles and Jenna broke away from each other.

"Don't move, Lyd," Stiles told her, and ran to the closet to grab the broom. He ran back quickly, and sighed. "You don't have shoes on?"

"I didn't want to walk around in heels the whole time - sue me!" She replies, looking around at all of the broken pieces on the floor.

"Here," He told her, wrapping his hands around her waist. Without even thinking about it, he picked her up, and set her down on the counter. He glanced in her eyes, knowing it didn't have to be sexual; he just did it to help her not step on anything. So why does it feel like something more?

His breath is heavy and there's a lump in his throat, and she's breathing heavily too even though she has no reason to be. He's looking in her eyes, and his hands are still on her hips. He parts his lips because he feels like a thirty-pound weight is sitting on his chest, and her hands are on his arms, and she's staring at him, too. He looks down at her lips without even meaning to. Everyone's watching them.

"I should really clean this up." He laughs, pulling completely away and trying to make the tension disappear. It didn't.

"At least it was an ugly mug," Scott laughed, trying to lighten the mood as Stiles swept up the broken pieces.

After that, they all tried to pretend nothing happened. He really hoped Jenna hadn't seen it.

He came up behind her as she finished setting the food on the table, and slid his arms around her waist. He nuzzled his face against her neck, nudging her hair out of the way. Like he's always done with Lydia.

He's feeling so much for Lydia right now, so all of this cuddliness towards Jenna is to prove to himself that he's over Lydia. He is.

"Ooh, what did I do to deserve this?" Jenna asks, smiling and turning around to look at him.

"I just like you," He smiles, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He leans in, and kisses her. Deeply and passionately, and it feels good. He wants to believe that it's because he really likes her. He does, but deep down, he knows he's doing it because Lydia's watching. He hates himself for that.

"I like you too," She laughs, whispering against his lips. His fingers slide under the hem of her shirt, gently touching her skin. It was warm and soft, and her arms are wrapping around his neck.

"Get a room," Scott laughs, knocking Stiles' arm.

"Mhmm," Stiles mumbles, giving her one last kiss, before pulling away. He immediately looks over to see Lydia, but she's nowhere to be found. Neither is Liam.

"So, let's dig in." Scott rubs his hands together, but Stiles starts to panic. Lydia and Liam alone? He's going to tell her about Stiles' feelings.

"I'll be right back," Stiles says, practically running upstairs. He searches through the rooms, until he finally finds them in the bathroom.

"What's going on?" Stiles asks, glancing between both of them. Liam is propped up on the counter, and Lydia is on the floor looking at his foot.

"I just got a piece of mug in my foot. She's helping." Liam stares down at Lydia, keeping still.

"Got it," Lydia stands up, holding tweezers with a small broken piece in it.

"Oh, okay," Stiles nods, breathing in with relief. "Well it's, uh, time to eat, so…"

"Okay, we'll be down in a second," Lydia answered, not even looking up at him.

He went back downstairs, and sat at the table. Jenna, Scott, and Kira ate, but they've been upstairs for five minutes now, and it's distracting him. His foot is tapping at the floor.

Finally they descended the stairs, talking and laughing. That made him feel weird.

He tried to pay attention to see if Lydia gave him any weird looks that indicated she knew, but nothing. He should have known Liam would never do that.

They eat, and all go into the living room as usual. Jenna, Stiles, Scott, and Kira sit on the big couch, and Liam and Lydia sit on the small one together. Stiles can't help but glance over at them every few seconds. He has this horrible knot in his stomach just gnawing at him. It won't go away.


	57. Jealousy

**I know most of you probably won't like this chapter, and I don't either! It's just something that I felt like I needed to do, so don't hate me!**

 **Merry Christmas!**

* * *

They watched two Christmas movies, and then they all sat around the table to eat and play card games.

Liam and Lydia had gotten closer and shared a blanket during the movies, but it didn't get much worse than that, thank god. It still bothered him, though.

Jenna's been pretty quiet around everyone, but she has a big smile on her face like she's glad to be a part of all of it.

"Having fun?" Stiles whispers to her, as Scott plays his turn in Phase 10.

"Yeah. This is great." She whispers back, and then kisses his cheek. He turns after that, and gives her a real kiss. Then he lays his head on her shoulder, and she runs her fingers through his hair soothingly.

"You're beautiful," He whispered in her ear, just loud enough for Lydia to hear if she's really listening. He hopes she is.

He puts his hand on her leg, and kisses her neck, and collarbone, and ear. He can't even describe how good it feels to know Lydia's watching and getting angry.

He doesn't even understand her. She obviously didn't want him, so what? He can't date anyone else, either? She's angry that he didn't want to have a 'friends with benefits' thing going with her, because who wouldn't? That annoys him even more.

"I don't want to do this in front of all of your friends," Jenna laughs, and he pouts as she kisses his lips once.

About ten minutes later, Lydia randomly broke out in laughter, causing everyone to look at her. She's laughing at something Liam whispered to her. It takes everything Stiles has in him right now not to scream with jealousy.

She covers her hand over her mouth, and blushes.

"Are you guys together? I can't believe Stiles didn't tell me." Jenna laughs, nudging Stiles' arm. His jealousy is driving him to absolute insanity.

"No, we aren't together." Lydia laughs, looking at Liam. She bites her lip and looks down at his.

"Well maybe we should be." He looks at her, shrugging his shoulders like the answers been in front of them all along. Then he pulls her in, and kisses her. On the mouth. Right in front of everyone. She kisses back. Stiles feels sick and betrayed and tired and jealous all at once. He's never felt this much rage settle in his chest before.

They pulled away laughing, and Jenna starts laughing too.

"That's cute," She smiles, laying her head on Stiles' shoulder. She doesn't understand the situation, because to her this just looks like friends that like each other. His jealousy enrages him; burning his insides with anger.

"I think I'm gonna go," Stiles stands up, slamming his cards down on the table. Jenna immediately grabs his arm. He has to clench his teeth so he doesn't beat the absolute shit out of Liam right now.

"What? Why?" She whispers, and everyone is staring at them. Scott and Kira are still in shock at what Liam and Lydia had just done.

"Don't go, Stiles." Scott pleads; everyone feeling the awkwardness that's settled in the room. He doesn't want to give Lydia the satisfaction, but he can't just sit here and watch this happen.

"I'm really tired. I didn't sleep much last night, and it's almost eleven." He answered, not even bothering to whisper. He tried not to show any anger or sadness; he didn't want them to succeed in their apparent quest to make him feel like shit.

"Okay." Jenna nods, tells them goodbye, and Stiles waves at them all. She doesn't ask any questions.

They walk to the door, but Stiles suddenly stops Jenna, pulls her close, and kisses her. He kisses her passionately and desperately; like he couldn't even wait until they got to the car because he wants her so bad. He knows Lydia's watching, and that fuels him even more. His hands are on her waist and then hips, and his body is pressing flush against hers.

"Stiles," She breathes out, pulling away briefly. "Let's wait until the car. Not in front of everyone."

"Yeah," He pants, nodding. "The car. Let's go."

He feels his hair sticking up crazily, and he doesn't even glance back at them before he grabs her hand and walks out.

He's so pissed off at Liam that he can't even _think_ straight. Liam knows how he feels about Lydia. _Felt._ He's still trying to remember that. He just doesn't understand. Liam had been so adamant on Stiles and Lydia getting together, so why would he kiss her? And why the hell would she kiss back?

"So did you have fun?" Stiles gulps, trying to sound normal as he drove Jenna back to her house. When they had first gotten in the car she tried to continue what had started inside, but he just shrugged her off. He's not interested anymore. Not if Lydia isn't watching.

"Yeah. Liam and Lydia are really cute." She said, and he felt his muscles tense up at their names.

"Mhmm. I agree." He nodded, looking straight ahead at the road.

"No." She replied, as he pulled into her driveway. "You don't agree."

"What?" He laughs, putting the Jeep into park. "I don't know what you mean."

"I mean that...I mean you're in love with her. With Lydia." She told him, tears filling in her eyes.

"No, I'm...I'm not. I'm not in love with her. I like _you_." He looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows. He grabbed for her hand, but she wrenched it away.

"Don't lie to me. Don't make it worse than it already is. You're in love with her. I see the way you look at her. I saw the way you looked when her and Liam were close; you were in pain. I'm not an idiot." She gritted her teeth, biting her bottom lip to hold back her tears. "The way you kissed me in front of her...It was to make her jealous. You didn't even try to kiss me after we got in the car. You look upset any time anyone mentions her name. Don't think I didn't see the moment you guys had after the mug broke. You're in love with her. For God knows how long."

"No," He put his face in his hands, feeling like he's about to fall apart. "I don't love her anymore."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that." She cried, and he flinched when her voice cracked.

"I don't..." He looks in her eyes, and sees the pain. He's doing to her what Lydia has been doing to him, and he sees that now. "I don't _want_ to love her anymore. I'm sorry."

"Fuck you, Stiles." She sniffs, trying to stay composed. Her voice is low but shaky, and it's breaking his heart that he's breaking her heart. "I really like you. If you just...if you just would have told me before. You shouldn't have even gone out with me. I asked you if there was something between you two, and you insisted that there wasn't. You've been lying to me the whole time. I hate you."

"It's not like that, Jenna. I'm so sorry for doing this to you, I really am. It's not fair. I'm just...I was trying to get over her. I didn't think I was going to like you as much as I did. I didn't think _you_ were even going to like me as much as you did. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so fucking sorry." He pleaded, trying to reach for her again. But, like clockwork, she pulled away again.

"You're a dick. You can't just use a girl and toss her away when you get a 'better' one. If Lydia didn't like you before, she definitely won't now, you asshole." She retorted, pushing him.

They sat there in silence for a few seconds, as he soaked all of that in. He knows it's true. Every antagonist is a protagonist in their own eyes. He's been a jerk like every other teenage guy, and he hadn't even realized it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." She whispers, crying out loud now. He breathes out. "You're a good guy. What you did was horrible, but that doesn't make you a horrible person. I just...I thought you were different I guess. But I've never...been in love, so I guess I don't understand how that feels. I think I could've loved you. You really hurt me."

"I'm so sorry." He murmurs, looking at the blinking Christmas lights on her house.

"I know." She nods, wiping away her tears. "I just wish you could look at me the way you look at her."

"You're so great, Jenna. I mean that; you're amazing. I just really think...I think I'm made to be with her. I shouldn't have even tried to get over her; it's never going to happen. I definitely shouldn't have used you like that, either. I'm so sorry. I'll never stop being sorry." He tells her, looking down at his hands. "If I could have ever loved someone other than her, I think...I think it would have been you."

"I don't want to hear that. It just hurts more." She looks out the window, and he gulps again. "So what are you going to do? Does she know?"

"No. She doesn't know." He sighs, running his fingers through his hair. "I tried to kiss her after the fake dating thing. I thought she wanted me to, but she pushed me away. So I don't think it's right for me to make a move. She doesn't feel the same way about me."

"She was trying to make you jealous too." Jenna told him, and he looked over at her. "While we were there."

"It's not like that." He answers in a whisper, shaking his head.

"Yes, it is. The way she was cuddling up to Liam; I've dated a girl that did that same thing to make me jealous. Lydia was jealous of me, so she was trying to make you jealous of Liam. That's how it works." She told him, biting her lip. "And I wouldn't lie to you about this, either, because I'm more on her side than I am yours right now, no offense. She feels something for you, Stiles. Trust me."

"I'm sorry, I just...I don't think so." He answers, catching her eye. "She's just a really big flirt like that. She always has been; even with me."

"Believe whatever you want." She shrugged, sniffing one last time. "I really hope you learn from your mistakes though. No one deserves what you did to me. So just...if you're trying to get over her, leave other people out of it. You'll just end up hurting them."

"I know. I won't do it again. I'm sorry." He told her, and she nodded.

"Goodbye, Stiles. Good luck." She told him, and he gave a weak smile.

"Thank you. You too." He told her, and she kissed his cheek, and then his lips once, before she got out his Jeep and walked to her house.

She didn't look back once.

He sat there and thought about everything for a few minutes. He's not even thinking straight, but he knows what he has to do.


	58. How Could You?

"Hey, I thought you went home," Scott said, watching Stiles open the front door from the kitchen.

"Is Lydia here?" Stiles storms back into Scott's house, and they're still playing a game at the table. She's not there with them, so he looks around frantically for her; glancing around the kitchen and into the living room. Nothing.

He was hoping that the five minute drive from Jenna's house to Scott's house would calm him down, but it didn't. The rage just festered in him and made him even more bitter than he was before.

"No. She's gone." Kira says, looking at him with confusion. They all drop their cards because they know this is serious.

"She left right after you did," Liam told him, and Stiles locks eyes with him. His anger is boiling in his veins. He's just sitting there pretending like nothing's wrong, and Stiles can't take it any longer.

"Good." Stiles grits his teeth, advancing towards Liam. He grabs his collar, lifts him up, and doesn't hesitate a second before he punches him square in the face. Kira cries out, and a few seconds later Scott's pulling Stiles off of a bleeding Liam.

"I hate you! How the hell could you do that to me?!" Stiles yells at Liam, and his fist is throbbing with pain, but he barely even notices because his adrenaline is pumping so fast. Scott is pulling him farther and farther away, and eventually Stiles just gave up trying to fight it. Liam's busted lip is already healing, which makes Stiles even more angry. He had to deal with a swollen jaw for a week, while Liam doesn't even have to deal with a busted lip for more than a minute.

"You're a dick, Liam. I thought you were my friend, but you just wanted Lydia all to yourself this whole time, didn't you?!" Stiles accuses, his heartbeat loud and overpowering his senses. "You know how I feel about her!"

"Wow." Liam says, standing up. "This is even better than I thought it would be."

"What the hell does that mean?" Stiles yells angrily, and Scott tightens the grip on his arm so he can't charge at Liam again.

"I planned to do that, idiot. I'm tired of you pretending like you're over her. I was doing it so you would admit you're still in love with her, and I knew she would kiss back to make you jealous." Liam shrugged, and popped a chip in his mouth nonchalantly.

"Good freaking job, Liam. Really. It worked. Is that what you want to hear? It freaking worked." Stiles spouted, full of bitterness.

"You can't see what you're doing, Stiles! You're like a walking zombie, and you're dragging that poor girl down with you! It's not fair to her! Even if you're going to be a chicken and not tell Lydia how you feel, you're still ruining Jenna's life by leading her on like that! It's horrible to watch!" Liam finally yells back; standing up at the table. "This is exactly what I wanted to happen. I could feel the jealousy radiating off of you. I didn't need my wolf powers for that. Jenna has to know by now what you've been doing."

"Yeah, she does. Your plan worked like a charm. She broke up with me. She knows how I feel about Lydia." Stiles told them, and Scott sighed. "She has for a while."

"Are you okay?" Scott asked, genuine concern in his voice.

"I'm alright. I know I treated her badly. I feel like shit about it. I didn't even really realize what I was doing. I just don't know what to do." He lets his back slide down the wall, and he put his face in his hands. "I can't believe I did that to her. I've been an idiot."

"Yeah, no shit." Liam murmured, sitting back in his chair and rolling his eyes.

"You know what, Liam? I don't need this right now. I'm still pissed at you. I can't believe you kissed her." Stiles clenched his jaw, angry again.

"I had to do something," Liam said, crossing his arms. "You weren't going to. Neither were Scott or Kira. I'm sorry it was like that, but it was the only way. You wouldn't listen to me, and the longer you were with Jenna, the worse she was going to get hurt. I am sorry for kissing Lydia."

"She didn't seem sorry." Stiles sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's the worst part."

"Yeah. She was definitely more willing than I thought she'd be, but I knew it would work." He shrugged, with a smug smile on his face. "Besides, she was just doing it to make you mad, anyway. She doesn't care about me like that. You're just jealous as hell."

"Shut up." Stiles rolls his eyes, and tossed a hand towel at Liam. "She wasn't trying to make me jealous, anyway. She was just trying to make me mad - like always."

"Okay, Stiles, that's stupid." Scott accused, and Stiles looked up at him in surprise. Scott usually isn't the one to say stuff like that. "She likes you. You should have seen the way she looked when you and Jenna kissed."

"I've told you all a million times that she doesn't like me! Jesus Christ, what can I do to make you believe that?! She's told me straight to my face! So why can't you just let me get the hell over her?!" Stiles yells, and he's breathing heavily, and then he's crying. "I appreciate you trying to get us together, Liam, I really do. But you don't understand. She doesn't want me. So if you're going to badger someone about confessing their love, then talk to her. But since that's not going to happen, just stay out of it. Please. I'm exhausted. I really am."

"If you would just open your eyes, Stiles," Kira sighed, looking at him. "She loves you too. Actions speak louder than words. She's just scared, is all, but that doesn't change the way she feels about you. If you could see through our eyes, you'd realize it."

"I've tried to tell her how I feel. Even after I kissed her, she wouldn't talk to me for weeks. So I'm done getting hurt. I'm sorry, I just can't do it again. She doesn't want me. I've accepted that, so it's time for you guys to accept it, too." He stands up, and walks out into the cold air.

"Stiles! Wait," Scott says, and Stiles turns around. Scott runs and gives him a hug, and puts his arms around him.

"Stay here tonight. It's late, and I don't want you to be by yourself. We won't say anything else about it, okay? Just...stay." He sighs, and pulls back to look at him.

"Okay. I will." He nodded, completely exhausted. Mentally, physically, emotionally.

He thinks he's finally gotten them to realize what he's been trying to tell them all along, though, and that's a huge relief.

"How could you just...kiss her? I don't understand. It's not...easy for me." Stiles whispers, finally talking to Liam who was lying next to him in the darkness of Scott's living room.

"That's because you love her," Liam said easily. "To me it's just kissing a pretty girl; it was awesome. But I'm not in love, so that's all it is."

Stiles nods, even though Liam probably can't see him in the darkness. Now he just needs rest. A lot of it.


	59. Back Again

It's been two weeks to the day since he and Lydia have spoken to each other. They were having another silent fight, and he hated it. He's pretty sure that she still doesn't even know that he and Jenna broke up.

"You don't have to tell her how you feel or anything, okay? Just...please, just make amends. We miss her. We miss you guys being friends." Kira sighs, knocking shoulders with him at lunch.

"I know." He answers, aimlessly pushing his food around with his fork. He thinks about her all the time. When he's in class, when he's sleeping, when he's eating. Pretty much any time that he's breathing he's also missing her. It's like an instinct.

It's also a major pain in the ass.

It's the last day of school until winter break. They even only have one class after lunch since that's their last final.

He knows that all of this is stupid, so he's going to talk to her. He also knows she doesn't have a great family, so he really doesn't want her to be alone at Christmas time.

"She told me her grades have been slipping. She can't focus. She hasn't been sleeping much." Kira tells him, and he gulps and looks down at his food.

"Did you tell her about me and Jenna?" He asks quietly, and she shakes her head.

"I think that's something you should tell her." She admits, and Scott's looking at Stiles like he could break any second. He hates it.

Stiles and Liam have been getting along better now. It took a couple of days for Stiles to see that Liam had been right. Maybe not the way he went about it, but someone had to stop Stiles. He still couldn't get the image of them kissing out of his head.

"Yeah, I guess." He replies, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll talk to her after class."

"We should all go eat out and watch a movie or something tonight; celebrate winter break." Scott smiled, trying to cheer Stiles up. "Want to?"

"Of course," Stiles laughs, taking a bite of his apple. "That sounds great, actually. I've been wanting to do something. I'm tired of sitting at the house all of the time."

"Me too. This will be perfect." Scott grins; suddenly excited. Then the bell rang, and they all got up.

"Text me the details, okay? See you guys." Liam told them, and patted Stiles' back on the way to class.

"See you tonight, Stiles. I'll let you know where we're going and what time." Scott tells him, grabbing Kira's hand.

"Oh -" Kira cuts in, turning around right at the last second. "Try and get Lydia to come. Just try to, okay?"

"I'll try," He laughs, pulling his backpack over his shoulder. They wave at each other, and then Scott and Kira disappear into the crowd of people that are funneling through the halls.

After school he drives to Lydia's. He didn't text her or call her ahead of time, so he's hoping she isn't gone somewhere. A different part of him hopes she is, so he doesn't have to confront her.

He takes a deep breath, and knocks on her door. He feels panicked.

Her car's home, but she doesn't answer. He knocks again, but she still doesn't answer. So he knocks one last time, but still, no answer. So he walks back to his Jeep.

As he opens the door, he hears something.

"Stiles?" Lydia asks, and he turns to look at her; his heart skipping a beat. "I'm sorry; I was taking a bath. I heard a knock so I got out as fast as I could."

"Don't worry about it." He laughs, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. Her hair is tied up in a bun, and she has a towel wrapped around her. Only a towel.

"Do you wanna come in? It's cold out here." She laughs awkwardly, and crosses her arms with a shiver. He looks down at the key ring that's looped around his finger, twirls it, and then shoves it in his pocket.

"Yeah. Sure." He smiles at her, and then she opens the door wider for him to get through.

"I'm gonna get dressed, and then you can tell me why you came." She smiles, and then they walk upstairs.

"Okay. Is your mom-"

"Hello, Stiles." Her mom stops at the top of the staircase, and laughs.

"Oh, God. Sorry." He laughs, shaking his head. "Hey, Miss Martin."

"So why are you here? I haven't seen you around in a while." She smiles, as he gets to the top of the stairs. Lydia motions that she's going to get ready, and he gulps. He hates being alone with friends' parents.

"Um, me, Scott, Kira, and Liam wanted to go celebrate being on break, so we were going to go eat and, um, watch a movie or something I think. We wanted to see if Lydia wanted to come." He fidgeted nervously, and she laughed.

He likes her mom. He does, she's just a little intimidating, is all. Kind of like Lydia.

"That sounds good. She needs it, I think. I'm not sure what happened, but she misses all of you. You're a nice boy, Stiles. You're one that I'd actually like." She admits, and starts walking downstairs.

"Oh no, Miss Martin." He laughs, and she stops and turns around. "It's not like that."

"Okay, Stiles." She nodded, but not in an 'I believe you' way. It was more like an 'I believe that you believe that, but I don't believe that' way. "I have to go to a teacher meeting at the school. I'll see you later; have fun."

"Bye!" He replied, but she was already out the door. God, her and Lydia are so much alike.

After that he took a deep breath, and went into Lydia's room. She's dressed now, and brushing her hair out.

"Everything okay?" She asked, looking at him through the mirror.

"Yeah, I just...I think I'm in love with your mom." He tells her, trying to keep a straight face.

"God, shut up." She laughs, shaking her head and throwing a towel at him. "So why are you here? Not that I mind, but…"

"Oh yeah. Um we're all going to eat and watch a movie to celebrate being out of school. We wanted to see if you could come, you know...with us." He says quietly, and then looks up at her sheepishly. "Unless you're doing something tonight. Like if you have a date or whatever, you know, it's fine."

"I don't have a date." She laughed, shaking her head. She sat down on the bed beside him, braiding her hair. "I'd love to come with you guys."

"That's great." He nods, and swallows thickly. "I can pick you up later if you want. Or I can stay here and wait for you to get ready. Either way is fine."

"You can just stay." She tells him, standing up. "If you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind." He nods, and smiles.

She walks around her room, finding a different outfit to wear. Then she's finding jewelry, and then they're both in the bathroom while she puts her makeup on.

"So," he clears his throat, trying to build his courage up. "Why did you...why'd you kiss Liam? Well, kiss him back, more like."

She hesitates her movements when he says it, but doesn't look at him. She just looks in the mirror like before, and then she goes back to putting her mascara on.

"I wanted to," She says, shrugging it off like it was nothing. He felt like he would get more of an honest answer than that.

"Um...okay. It's just...you and Liam? I don't see it, is all." He shrugs, trying to pretend he cares less about it than he actually does.

"Okay." She turns to look at him, right in his eyes, making him gulp. "Then who do you suggest I be with, Stiles?" She asks sarcastically, furrowing her eyebrows with pretend interest.

"I'm just saying." He shrugs his shoulders again, and she looks away. "He's young."

"He's a grade lower than us, Stiles. I'm eighteen, and he's seventeen. It's not a big difference at all." She huffs, applying lip gloss.

"So you must really like him then, huh?" He asks, chewing at the inside of his cheek.

"I don't guess that's your business." She smiles at him, and he laughs, but tries not to let it hurt his feelings.

"I guess not." He admits, breathing in.

"So are you ready to go then?" She asks, standing up, and fixing her hair in the mirror.

"Yeah." He answers, and they head over to Scott's house. He hopes the rest of the night goes better than this.


	60. About That

"Lydia!" Kira gasps, and runs and hugs her as she comes through the door alongside Stiles.

"Hey, Kira," Lydia answers, hugging her back with a smile.

"I wasn't sure you would come. I'm glad you did." Kira tells her, giving one last squeeze before pulling away.

"We missed you, Lyd." Scott said, pulling her in for a comforting hug.

Liam just sat there looking embarrassed as she initiated the hug between them.

"So where's Jenna at?" Lydia asks, lingering beside Liam.

He had forgotten to tell her about that.

"Oh, um...I'll tell you later." Stiles clears his throat, and she shrugs and nods. She didn't even suspect their breakup.

"So, everyone ready? We can go watch the movie first since it's so early." Scott offers, and they all nod.

They all jam into Kira's car, and head to the movie theater. Lydia, like always, is in the middle of Liam and Stiles. Stiles pushes himself against the door as much as he possibly can.

"What are we watching?" Lydia asks, leaning in and poking her head between Scott and Kira.

"It was last minute, so we'll just have to pick something when we get there." Scott admits, laughing it off with that mood-lightening humor he always has.

"Sounds good to me." Lydia laughs, sitting back against the seat again.

They ended up watching some action movie. It really sucked, actually, but they were just happy to be around each other.

By the time it was over, the awkwardness had fled. They came out of the theater room smiling and happy. It felt good.

"God, I'm starving." Lydia laughed, climbing into the car. They all agreed, and decided on a restaurant to go to. Lydia and Stiles' legs touched, and he pretended he didn't notice.

At the restaurant, Stiles and Lydia sat in one booth, and Liam, Kira, and Scott sat in the one across from them. Slowly but surely, they're getting back into old habits. Good ones. It finally feels like the pack is the pack again after a month of disarray. They're joking and laughing and having a good time.

"Let me have a taste of that." Lydia smiles up at Stiles, pointing at his plate. Her eyes dart down to his lips for barely half of a second. "It looks good."

"Have at it." He smiles back, pushing the plate to her. Then he reaches over, grabbing her plate.

"Hey!" She laughs, her mouth dropping open with a small smile on her face.

"You get some of mine, I get some of yours," He grins, shrugging his shoulders.

"That sounded oddly sexual," Liam murmured under his breath, and Stiles kicked his knee under the table. Lydia either didn't hear it, or pretended she didn't hear it. Either way he was content that it wasn't confronted.

Before he knew it, they were leaving. Lydia couldn't stay the night because some family Christmas thing in the morning, so he had to take her home. He didn't want to say goodbye.

"I...I miss you," He admitted, his heart pounding as he looked ahead at the road. He tried to sound confident, but he stuttered and his voice shook. "I don't know what happened, but I really hope we can just drop it. I miss hanging out with you. We promised we wouldn't separate after we told them."

"I know." She whispered, looking out the window. "Stuff happens, I guess, but I miss you too. I don't want anything to ruin our friendship."

"Me neither." He agrees, sitting up higher in his seat. He glances over at her, gulping. "You're too important to me."

She looks over at him, and he can feel it, but he keeps his eyes on the road; pretending he doesn't notice. His hands start to sweat, though, as he pulls into her driveway. The sensor lights cut on; one of them flickering momentarily before finally staying lit.

"You are too." She answers, and he finally turns and lets his eyes meet hers. It felt like he just had gotten the breath knocked out of him. So then he looks away; staring at her house and analyzing everything about it to keep his mind in order.

Then, suddenly, her cool hand presses against his cheek; her skin soft and effortlessly gentle. His breath caught in his throat, right as she turned his face to look at her. She bites her lip, and then hesitates a second, before...she kisses him.

His stomach was doing flips as she clutched at his shirt; desperately pulling him closer. His eyes shut and his eyebrows furrowed, and he wound his hands in her hair.

Their breathing was shallow and shaky, and soft, wanting moans were escaping their lips in the most raw way imaginable. It was sweet and passionate and he had definitely forgotten what kissing Lydia could do to him.

"Oh God," she pulls away suddenly; panting and gulping. "Jenna. I'm- oh God, Stiles, I forgot. I'm so sorry. Oh my God."

"No, no, it's okay. Me and Jenna...we broke up. That night." He replies breathlessly; his words coming out almost incomprehensible from the tremble in his voice. He knew he wouldn't have to specify which night. She'll know.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me?" She asks, her eyes wide.

"We...we weren't even talking to each other." he whispers, confused. "I didn't think you'd care, anyway."

She looks at him, still breathing heavily out of her mouth. He still couldn't believe that just happened. He didn't even know why it happened, either. He's confused.

They were silent after that for a minute or two.

"You kissed me." He spoke finally, his fingers starting to get numb from the coldness as he gripped the steering wheel. His bones felt brittle and weak.

"Don't pretend like you didn't want me to." She whispers with sudden defensiveness, and he turns to look at her with surprise.

"I didn't say I didn't want you to. I was just stating a fact." He accuses, suddenly getting annoyed. "Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't." She turns to him, crossing her arms.

"Then why are you so mad all of the sudden?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"God, I forgot how badly you can get on my nerves sometimes. Whatever. I'm going inside." She huffs, getting out and slamming the door of his Jeep.

"Good!" He yells, but she keeps walking; not even glancing back at him.

All of this was for nothing. Them making amends and finally hanging out again ended up being a huge waste, because they can't even be near each other for long anymore without getting angry.

He doesn't want it to be that way.

At the last second he got out of his Jeep on a whim, and ran to her. She was unlocking the front door, and the second she opened it, he had turned her around. His fingers slid against the back of her neck, and he leaned down, and kissed her. She kissed back, and pulled him closer; as close as she could.

Her back is pressed against the bricks beside her front door, and she's moaning and whimpering and this is all he's ever wanted in his entire life.

"Why did you and Jenna break up?" She gasps between kisses, continuing her streak of asking questions at the absolute worst times.

"She thought," he breathes out, presses his lips to hers, and then pulls back again briefly. "That you and I liked each other."

For barely even half of a second she froze. And then she kissed him even harder.

"Why are you kissing me?" She asks against his lips, scratching her fingers against his neck.

"Because I want to," He replied, pulling away and looking at her. He had a dazed smile on his face as he looked in her dilated eyes. "Now shut up so I can kiss you more."

She laughed at that, and they put their arms around each other and kissed again. A few minutes into their continuous steamy makeout session, she jumped up and wrapped her arms and legs around him, and his hands gripped at the underside of her thighs to hold her up.

"Take me inside." She pleads desperately, already tugging at his jacket sleeves. He complied to her request, and held her as he pushed through her front door. She was kissing his neck, and his legs were just about to give out.

"Your room?" He asked, huffing out uneven breaths through his mouth. She nodded and gently bit on his neck; slowly grinding against his groin. That was it. He couldn't do it anymore.

He said her name trying to tell her to stop - he couldn't carry her if she was going to do that - but it came out more like a soft moan.

"I want you now. Right now." She begged, and he was only a little over halfway up her staircase before he had to stop and prop his hand against the wall. He didn't know how it happened, but only a few moments later they were laying on the carpet in the second-floor hallway. It was dark because they hadn't turned on any lights, and even though it's cold, he's burning up.

They're tearing at each others clothes with desperation to get them off, until finally they're only in their underwear. It was so passionate and serious that they physically could not even wait until they got to her bedroom.

"Where's your mom?" He asks shakily, as she kicks his pants off.

"I don't know," She admitted, digging her fingers into his back as he kissed her neck.

"Well couldn't she just...you know...walk in and see us having sex on her floor?" He asked, still trying to catch his breath.

"That makes it all the more exciting, though, doesn't it?" She smiles and shivers, and he kisses up her neck until he's finally back to her lips.

"I don't think it's possible for me to be any more excited than I already am." He laughed, and she did too.

"Me neither," she admitted, biting his lip. He pressed his hand against her stomach; feeling her soft, sweaty skin again his own. He moved his hand down farther and farther until it was sliding beneath the waistband of her underwear.

"Oh God, Stiles," she moaned helplessly, and ran her fingers roughly through his hair. Her hips were involuntarily pressing against his, as he worked his fingers against her.

This isn't a good night. It's an _amazing_ night.


	61. Aftermath

**It's getting closer to the end! I will really miss this story :( (P.S. I probably won't update until next weekend for the last chapter!)**

* * *

"Oh God," Lydia suddenly freezes, and so does he. "Mom's home."

"No," His eyes widen, and he gets off of her.

After the first round they had gotten up and moved to her bedroom. Now it's halfway through the second round, and they heard the front door shut.

"Put your clothes on!" Lydia whispers loudly, and he's practically falling over trying to pull his boxers on. Lydia throws her own clothes on, and starts making the bed. As soon as he pulls his shirt on over his head, he plops down next to her on the bed.

"Have a good time?" Her mom walks in a few seconds later, at the perfect time. She narrowed her eyes when she saw them, though; breathless but trying not to show it, and Stiles' arm is around Lydia's shoulders in a 'casual' way. Although it looked awkward and like they were trying to hide something.

"Oh, yeah," Lydia smiles, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She nudged Stiles' ribs in a silent way to make him take his arm off of her. "We had...a great time."

"Great." Her mom replied, glancing between both of them with rising suspicion. Stiles - trying to avoid the awkwardness - grabbed a glass from Lydia's side table and start sipping the water. "So what are you two doing now?"

"Um...Just talking. About stuff." Lydia gave her best smile, and Stiles could just feel the horrible tension in the air.

"Yeah," Stiles wiped his mouth, sitting up straighter. "We weren't doing anything wrong. Just good old-fashioned talking. Teenagers don't do enough of that these days, don't you think, Miss Martin? They're hormones are just...raging. They don't have enough deep talks anymore - just sex! I mean...not me and Lydia, though," He says, knowing that he's digging himself a deeper and deeper hole that he already can't crawl out of. Miss Martin raises an eyebrow. "Not that I wouldn't...Lydia is beautiful. So, I mean, I would definitely...I mean...she takes after you. Not that I would, you know, have sex with _you_ , per se. I just meant…Um..."

"Shut up," Lydia whispers through gritted teeth, and he clamps his mouth shut immediately. He could feel the hate radiating off of Lydia right now. His face is heating up like crazy.

A few seconds of awkward silence went by, so Stiles pretended to clear his throat and then picked up the glass of water again.

"You two better be using protection." Her mom said suddenly, and Stiles actually started choking on his water. He could feel his face turning even _more_ red.

"What?" He laughed and furrowed his eyebrows, throwing his hands in the air and acting like the accusation was preposterous. Miss Martin crossed her arms, giving him a look. "I don't...I don't even know what sex _is._ "

"We are. We're being safe." Lydia told her quietly, and Stiles' chewed on the inside of his cheek and looked aimlessly at the wall; trying to pretend he didn't just make it a thousand times worse for their case. "I'm sorry, mom."

"Don't be. You're both eighteen - I just need to trust you to make smart decisions. And I do." She nods, putting her 'serious mom' face on. Stiles has seen it on Melissa hundreds of times. Then she turns to Stiles, and points her finger at him. He gulps. "But _you_ need to learn how to keep your mouth shut."

"I know. I'm sorry." He laughed awkwardly; rubbing the back of his neck. She laughed too, which made him feel better.

"How did you know? Besides the fact that Stiles is the biggest idiot on the face of the planet." Lydia sighed, tying her hair back.

"First of all, I found these-" she held up Lydia's lace underwear, and Stiles pinches the bridge of his nose. "In the hallway. And then I walked in and saw you two sitting here breathless with something to hide. Stiles' shirt is also on inside out _and_ backwards. Wasn't very hard to guess."

"Oh, God," Lydia sighed, covering her face with her hand.

"Stiles, I think it's best if you left right now," Her mom said, and he nodded.

"I'll walk you out," Lydia said under her breath, and they went out together.

"Sorry Miss Martin," He told her, hanging his head low.

"Don't be, Stiles." She sighed, taking off her glasses. "I'm glad it's you and not some deadbeat, weed-smoking college guy."

"Thanks," He laughed awkwardly, and Lydia tugged on his arm and they went downstairs.

"Stiles!" Lydia pinched his arm the second they got outside and shut the door. "You practically told her we were having sex!"

"Well what about you?! You left your underwear laying on the floor!" He laughs, because even though it feels like he should be mad, he's too happy to be.

"Why are you laughing? It isn't funny!" Lydia bites her lip, trying not to laugh herself.

"It is a little." He smiles, completely overjoyed. "Your mom is cool about that stuff, anyway."

"I wouldn't say 'cool' exactly; she just realizes that teenagers will do it, so it's better to educate them than it is to ignore it and let them do stupid things." She shrugs, and he nods.

"I get that." He tells her, as they finally reach his vehicle. He picks her up and presses her back against his jeep, and presses his own body to hers. Then he kisses her; both of them smiling into it.

"Mom could be watching," Lydia laughed, pulling away and looking at him. He looked in her eyes, really looked, and thought he saw happiness in her, too.

"I don't care." He admitted, his throat raw from the cold air. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, feeling the cool metal of his jeep pressed against his arms.

She laughs, and looks down. He presses his forehead against hers, and she smiles and gently rubbed her cold nose against his, and then kissed him again. Their arms were around each other, and he couldn't explain with a million words how good this feels.

"I should go." She whispered against his lips, and he sighed with disappointment, but still couldn't help but smile. "Mom's probably waiting for me so she can give me a 'talk'."

"At least she waited for me to leave. Something my dad didn't have the courtesy of doing with you." He laughs, and sets her back down on her feet. She wrapped her arms around his torso, and set her head against his chest. He was embarrassed that she could hear his heartbeat.

"That seems like a lifetime ago," She laughed, and he nodded.

"Yeah, it does," He agreed, rubbing his thumb against her cheek. There was a comfortable silence for a few moments after that.

"I really have to go." She laughed, pulling away. She started walking towards her house, and he watched her.

"Hey, Lydia," He called after her, shoving his hands in his pockets as she turned around.

"Yeah?" She asks through chattering teeth. Her nose is red like it always get's when it's cold.

"I...I wanna talk about this tomorrow. What happened." He swallows thickly, and she looks down at the pavement, and then back up at him, nodding. It can't all be smiles and kisses. It's time to finally face some things that should have been faced a long time ago. "Let's meet at waffle house tomorrow morning at ten. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's fine," She nodded again, giving a weak smile. He could hear the blood rushing in his head; causing his ears to ring.

"Okay. Goodnight." He smiled, still standing there awkwardly.

"Goodnight." She answered, and he couldn't help but notice the tremble in her voice. He watched her turn around, and walk inside her house.

He has to tell her tomorrow.


	62. Coming Clean

**So this is the end! I am working on an epilogue though, and I'll probably upload it on Tuesday. Hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

He's been waiting at Waffle House for two hours now. Not that she's late, it's just that he's super early. He kept waking up on and off all night, so around seven he decided to actually get up, and just go ahead and get there.

He ordered a coffee and a side order of bacon, but he didn't really touch either when they came.

When it started getting closer to time, he thought about just leaving. Just walking out, and telling Lydia he got sick or something. He really wanted to, but he knows for sure right now that this is finally it.

All of this time he thought that him keeping his love for her a secret would keep them closer; that if he told her, everything would be different. Now he thinks it's the opposite. He knows that there's always going to be a barrier between them as long as he keeps it a secret. She may not know why it's there, but he does; he always has. It's getting worse and worse, and he's had to find that out the hard way. It's driving them away from each other.

It's two minutes until ten when her car pulls up in a parking spot. He sits up straighter, fixing his hair in the reflection of the window. He feels his armpits dampening with nervous sweat as his foot tapped repeatedly against the floor. He's been over this moment a thousand times in his head, but this is the real thing this time. It's hard to process.

He watched as she got out of her car, and fixed her hair in the reflection of her car window. That made him feel better since he had just done the same thing.

She walked to the door, took a deep breath, and then opened it. A tiny bell indicated that she had walked in, and he quickly turned his head away and pretended he hadn't seen her walk in.

"Hey." She said a few moments later, sitting down in the booth across from him.

"Oh, hey," he laughs, turning to look at her. "How are you?"

"I'm great." She smiles brightly, as she reaches over and grabs two of his pieces of bacon. She bites into one of those pieces, and then grabs his cup of coffee.

"Hey," he laughs; smiling slightly as he let his mouth drop open.

"What? You weren't having it." She shrugs and laughs, taking a sip of the coffee.

"How do you know that?" He asks, narrowing his eyes and propping his chin on his fist. She was right, of course; his food had been sitting there for a two hours and all he did was stare at it. But he didn't want her to get the satisfaction.

"The cup is filled with cold coffee, there's no stain on the rim from where there would've been if you had had some to drink, and everyone knows a side order of bacon comes with three strips. These are untouched." She raises an eyebrow, staring him down.

"Mmm, say it again," He closes his eyes, biting his lip.

"Shut up," She laughed, throwing a balled up napkin at him. When the laughing died out, she just looked at him. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, yeah," He cleared his throat, sitting up straighter. "I'm not sure how to...um, go about this exactly."

"Take your time," She smiled, thinking this was probably some proposal to become 'friends with benefits' or something. He had no idea what was going through her mind right now, and it drove him insane.

"Okay. I'll just…" He breathes in, and then swallows thickly. "The pack told me you were trying to make me jealous the other day when you kissed Liam."

She sat there for a second, thinking of what to reply. "You know how they are. That's why we started the whole fake dating thing anyway."

"Yeah, but…" He sighed, not knowing what else to say. This always went better in his head. "Why did you do it, then?"

"Because I wanted to." She answers, shrugging her shoulders.

"That's not a good enough reason to kiss Liam, one of your best friends." He replies, trying to get something out of her.

"Why not? It was for you when you kissed me yesterday." She retorts, and it feels like a stab to his gut.

"You kissed me first." He murmurs, but knows she's right. He has no real excuse. Not one that he wanted to tell her right now, anyway.

"What is this conversation for, exactly?" She asks, narrowing her eyes. "Why am I here?"

"I'm trying to tell you something, it's just hard for me to get out." He gulps, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "It's hard for me to find the right words sometimes. I'm not trying to start anything."

"Stiles. You can tell me." She says seriously, looking in his eyes.

"I know. I know that, it's just…" He sighs, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm just going to come right out and say it, okay?"

"Go ahead." She nods and smiles, waiting patiently. She has no idea what's coming for her.

His heart pounded. His stomach was in knots. He always imagined it would come out on accident or something. They would be cooking and they'd smile at each other, and then, softly, he'd say 'I love you', and that would be it. Or maybe they'd be in a fight, and he'd accidentally blurt it out. But here, now, trying to _plan_ what to say, felt...difficult.

"Okay, so you know how the Granter disguised itself after people that you either love or you're just, like, really attracted to?" He asks, and she nods. "Remember when Deaton wanted to talk to me alone? Well...he told me that the reason the Granter went after me instead of Scott, is because it's not just drawn to the smell of mint. It's also drawn to pain. Um...unrequited love, to be specific." Her face is blank, so he looks down at the table, blinking. "I didn't see you just because I'm attracted to you, Lydia. I...I love you. I'm in love with you. I always have been. Even through the fake dating stuff. I love you so much." He breathed out, feeling horrible and scared and relieved at the same time. Holy _shit_ he wished he could read her mind; now more than ever.

"What?" She asks quietly, and he swallowed thickly as he looked up at her, in her eyes. She looked away, pushing her lips together.

"I think you knew I liked you a couple of years ago, you know? I've always liked you. But now...it's not like that. I'm good at hiding it, I guess. Or you chose to ignore it, which I wouldn't blame you for like, at all. I've just been so miserable not seeing you all of this time. It's killing me." He tells her with pain in his voice, and she winces. "I've wanted to tell you, but I just...I couldn't. I didn't want to ruin anything. I had accepted that you didn't feel the same about me, and that's okay. It's just that the pack pushing us to be together gave me a horrible false hope. That's why they were so mad after they found out we were lying."

"They knew?" She looks up at him, tears making her eyes glassy. He nods, and she put her face in her hands. "So what? I'm just the biggest idiot, huh? We lied to them about us dating, but you all have been lying to me for years about this? I guess I'm just a laughing stock for you guys then, huh?"

"No. No, it's not like that. I promise it isn't. They just respected my wishes of keeping it a secret, okay?" He sighs, knowing he's made a huge mistake. All of this time in the back of his mind he thought that she might feel the same way. It's obvious that he's always been wrong.

"Look. I didn't tell you this to make you feel bad, okay? I don't want that. I just don't want to lie about the way I feel about you anymore. It's killing me, Lyd." He whispers, and she sniffs. "Jenna broke up with me because she could see it. She could see how I feel about you, and that I was only kissing her to...make you jealous. I shouldn't have even been with her in the first place. It was wrong. I just...I thought that _maybe_ if I dated someone else, I would finally think about someone other than you. It didn't work."

"All of those times we kissed. All of those times we had sex, or cuddled, or watched movies together…" She trailed off, choking up again. "You let me act like the pack were stupid for thinking we should be together, when really they all thought I was the stupid one."

"Nobody thinks you're stupid. Nobody. You're so smart, and beautiful, and...God, Lydia, how can you blame me for falling in love with you?" He laughs weakly, biting at the inside of his cheek so he doesn't cry. She shakes her head, tears streaking her cheeks.

"I don't know what to say." She whispers through a broken voice, and he gulps.

"You don't have to say anything. I just...I don't want to lie to you anymore." He tells her, and then shakes his head. "I don't want anything to be different between us. I know...I know it probably will be, but I…" He sighs, and doesn't finish. She doesn't say anything. "Well that's what I wanted to tell you. I guess I'll go." He says under his breath, and slides out of the booth.

"You get to say all of that and I can't say anything?" She half smiles, biting her bottom lip. Her eyes are red and puffy, and his heart is breaking just looking at her. He knows she's trying to comfort him. She knows he's in pain.

"I didn't think you wanted to." He gulped, sitting back down.

"Not knowing what to say isn't synonymous with not wanting to at all." She keeps the small smile on her face, but he knows it's forced.

"Okay," She started, breathing in deeply. "I'm going to talk. I don't want you to say anything until I'm finished...okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I won't." He nods, knowing he's about to get the worst his of reality he's ever gotten. "Take it easy on me. Please."

"Um," She licked her lips in that cute way that she always does. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to think of where to start. How to let him down easy. "I think...I think the pack was right." She says, and his heart starts pounding. That could mean anything. Like, actually anything.

"About w-" He starts to say, but then remembers he shouldn't say anything. "Sorry."

"It's fine." She takes in a deep breath, tearing at a napkin nervously. "I think they were right about...me being jealous that night. I didn't know what it was, really. I had never felt like that before. When I saw you kissing her, I just got so angry at you. I wanted to hurt you the same way you hurt me. That's why I kissed Liam. God, and you don't even know how satisfying it was to see that look on your face. Like you were mad, too. That's wrong of me, I know. I just...seeing you kissing her...upset me."

She breathed out a long breath after that, pushing her lips together. His blood was ringing in his ears.

"I hadn't experienced that kind of jealousy before. It was overpowering any other sense or um...any other kind of knowledgeable thought I could process. I was acting impulsively on it; I wasn't thinking." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I didn't even know it was jealousy until...until Kira pointed it out. I was so embarrassed." She laughed, shaking her head and blushing. He propped his chin on his fist and smiled; nodding at everything she's saying.

"Anyway...I shouldn't have started off with that. I'll go back to the beginning I guess. So as we started getting closer, I realized how...just amazing you are. You are so full of love for everyone. You make everyone laugh even when they don't want to. I didn't know you very well before, but those friday nights really just...made me see you." She laughed, swallowing thickly. "And then they kept joking about us being together. We were so close by then; inseparable, more like. It was crazy. I had never been so close to someone in my whole life. I didn't want to ruin that by dating you. So when the chance arose for me to...date you, without actually dating you...I couldn't pass it up. It was like a free trial or something, you know? I could try it out without it actually ruining anything. Without it meaning anything. See what it's like."

He sat there in silence, not knowing what to say or do or think.

"So then we started to fake date, and I was enjoying myself way too much. Just kissing you and snuggling up to you and flirting with you...I basically had a free pass to do anything I wanted. I loved the way you would always tense up when I kissed you, and how you blushed when I flirted with you in front of everyone. It was all so fun. At first. And then in the middle of that, all of my feelings I had tried so hard to suppress started surfacing. It was like I was being slapped in the face or something. I don't know."

"Okay. I'm getting off track." She continued, still not looking up at him once. "Okay, so after I had my fun in the beginning, that's when it really hit me. I guess to pinpoint the exact time, is when I walked in on you getting changed before the hot tub. I don't think I ever really realized how…" She bites her lip, blinking her eyes. "How hot you are. I guess since we're friends I didn't really notice. But that night, and from that night on...oh my god, I literally could not stop thinking about you, and what I wanted to do to you. I could hardly even look at you sometimes it was so bad. My mind would just go blank." She gulps, and he blushes at that. He couldn't believe anyone thought of him that way.

"Oh God, I'm kind of getting off track again. So, after that, I started noticing the little stuff you did, too. I thought you might like me too, but then you would do something that made me think you didn't. It was just...so confusing. And then the Granter happened, and that's when I realized how I felt for you. You were laying there at Deaton's, and I saw it. I couldn't live without you. I promised myself I would tell you how I felt if you ever woke up. I got too scared, though, when you finally did.

And then we had sex. Stiles, that was the first time that...it was the first time that it wasn't just sex for me. I felt something. I always thought movies were so stupid; you have sex and it changes things. But it's real with the right person. I just felt so close to you after that; it was intoxicating. I thought it was bad before, but afterwards was so much worse, and it made me want you that much more. I thought about you day and night; all the freaking time. I missed you so much when we didn't talk for so long. I...I was going to actually come tell you how I felt. I was going insane, Stiles, seriously, and I had to do something or I would burst." She laughed in a painful way; like she was remembering. "But then I found out you were with Jenna. I found out you guys went on a date like two days after we fake broke up. It hurt me so bad. I couldn't breathe in the restaurant that night. I cried in my car after you got out."

"I know I'm not supposed to say anything," He cut in with a shaky voice, gulping. "But I only dated her so I could get over you. It didn't take me long to realize that I would never, ever feel for someone else the way I feel for you."

"Shut up." She laughed; tears quickly filling her eyes.

"No," He laughed too, feeling a lump in his throat. He felt like he was actually going to burst with happiness.

"Stiles, you made it so hard for me, do you know that? I thought you liked me, and then you got with her. I thought I was too late." She covered her mouth with her hand; her eyebrows furrowing as she cried. "I thought you had gotten over me or something. It was the worst feeling ever to see you with her. Not just her, anyone else but me, really."

"I've always liked you. I always will." He reached over, and grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"It hurt me this bad in only two months. I didn't mean to hurt you for all of these years." She bit her quivering lip, squeezing his hand.

"Don't. Don't do that. It's not like that, okay?" He smiles, leans down, and presses his lips to her hand.

"Stiles," she blinks her tears away, looking in his eyes. Her voice was soft but meaningful. "I love you."

Tears form in his eyes as they look at each other. This is all he's ever wanted.

"I love you too," he felt the lump in his throat, making him gulp. Then, quietly, "More than anything."


	63. Epilogue

**This is the end!:( Thank you all for reading! Thank you for all of your likes, reviews, and input! It really means a lot that you all stuck with me through all these months/chapters.**

* * *

"Stiles, come on," Lydia reaches over the table one last time, trying to catch him off guard. He dodges her, again, and she huffs, and bites her lip and tries not to smile. "Please?"

"No way." He shakes his head, turning his back to her protectively, and uses a spatula to stir the contents of the bowl. "Kira trusted me with this task, and I'm not going to be the one facing her wrath just because you can't control yourself around cupcake batter. Besides, she'll be back in like, two minutes with the flour."

"Yeah," She comes up behind him, and runs her fingers along his arm gently. He rolls his eyes and looks up at the ceiling. He knows this trick. Then she presses her body to his and sighs, and he suddenly remembers that it works every single time. "But I just want a little taste."

"You've already had three 'little tastes'," He gulps, and his hand trembles on the bowl. Then he composes himself, grips it tighter, and stands up straighter. "Besides, that's not going to work this time."

"What's not going to work?" She asks, running her fingers through his hair, and scratching her finger against the shape of his ear. His eyes practically roll into the back of his head, as hard as he tries to look unaffected.

"Stop...Stop seducing me to get what you want." He breathes out, looking in her eyes.

"Fine," She rolled her eyes, stepping back and letting him finally relax. This is way too easy. "You should have a taste, though. It's good."

"What are you up to?" He narrows his eyes, holding the bowl tighter against his chest with suspicion.

"Nothing!" She laughs, giving a small smile and raising her hands in surrender. "You should just taste it. It's so good."

He sat there for a second and thought about it.

"Fine." He gave in, realizing how good it looks. "Don't tell Kira."

"I won't." She smiled, and he looked down at the bowl.

"Here," Lydia cut in, right as he was about to swipe his finger through it. "I'll get it."

She dipped her finger in it, and then he opened his mouth, waiting. She slid it in his mouth, and he licked it off. As soon as she pulled it out, before he could even swallow it, she was kissing him. French-kissing, to be more specific.

She slid her tongue across his, tasting it, tasting him. He couldn't say he wasn't expecting this, but he welcomed it with open arms. Well...an open mouth.

They've been dating almost two months now. They fight like they did before they were dating, but, like before as well, they always make up. Now in a funner way.

They're still in their 'lovey-dovey' stage (but real this time), and even though Scott insists it'll go away, Stiles isn't convinced. Besides, it never went away when Scott dated Allison.

It's a Friday night, and it's the usual routine: movies, food, more movies, more food. Kira insisted on making cupcakes, but halfway making the batter, she ran out of flour. So her, Scott, and Liam (who begged them to tag along - he hated being around Stiles and Lydia who were constantly making out) went to the grocery store to grab some.

The pack had been a little wary when they told them, happily, that they were actually together this time. Once they finally believed, and realized it was real, nothing was the same. Life was like a dream now. He's happy, and his life has never, ever been better than this.

He has A's in all of his classes now, because they either go to his or hers house after school to study. It was educational, and it also gave them an excuse to make out on their (often) breaks.

"Mmm," he sighed, tasting the sugary batter against her tongue. "I should have known you were using me to get what you wanted."

"I wanted to kiss you, too," She laughed, and put her arms around his neck. "So it's really a two-for-one."

"I like good deals." He smiles, and hoists her up onto the counter. He feels goosebumps erupt on the skin of her stomach as he lightly drags his fingers across it.

"Let's have sex really quick before they get here," Lydia pants, blindly reaching down to undo his belt. They do this a lot now, actually, but this was cutting it too close and he knew it.

"Lydia. They're probably almost here." He stops her and laughs, and she rolls her eyes like usual.

"You know it doesn't take me long, though," She pleads, her eyes hungry and wanting. He loves that she shows it now.

She grinds herself against him, and they both emit a soft moan. He presses his forehead to her shoulder, breathing hot breath against her neck.

"No," He pulls away with sudden realization, before it's too late. "One of us has to have some self control."

"But-" She complains, but then the front door opens. Liam's standing there, looking at them. Lydia was up on the counter, her hair all messed up, and she has breathing heavily. Stiles was against her, his hair is messed up too, and he has cake batter on his face.

"Do you guys ever get tired?" Liam groans, and sets a few grocery bags down on the counter next to Lydia.

"Actually," Lydia hopped off of the counter, and wiped the batter off of Stiles with her thumb as Kira and Scott walk in. "We don't."

"You don't what?" Scott asks, tossing a marshmallow in his mouth.

"They're gross is the short version." Liam rolls his eyes, popping one in his mouth as well.

"Hey, stop eating those!" Kira laughed, snatching the bag from Scott's hands. She immediately opened the bag of flour, and finished up making the cupcakes. Scott put his arms around her and sat his chin on her shoulder.

"Love you." He whispered, kissing her jaw. She squirmed and laughed, and turned to full-on kiss him on the lips.

"Love you too." She laughed, and then turned her attention back to the bowl.

Lydia sat on Stiles' lap as they sat around the table waiting for the cupcakes to cook. He had his arms around her, and she laid her head against his chest.

"Hi." She whispered to him, smiling and rubbing her fingers against his hand while Scott and Liam started talking about Lacrosse.

"Hi." He replied, kissing her forehead.

"I love you, babe," She told him, tracing her fingers across the moles on his neck like they were constellations.

"I love you more." He answered, looking at her like she was the only person in the world. She glanced up at him and smiled bashfully; something you don't see on her a lot. It, as clichè as it is, took all of his breath away.

She seemed content with that response, so she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled up against his chest.

He knew that things could change. They'll be moving off to college in just a few months now. God knows what that could mean for them. But he's tired of worrying about the future when, right now, the present is more than enough.

He looks down at her in complete amazement, like he always does. She just looks at Scott while he talks about something boring, but he knew right now, watching her, that this was meant to be. He looks forward to the Friday nights they spend together during their last year of school before college. He's not scared of the future anymore. Not if she's beside him.


	64. New Work

I'm happy to say that I've started a brand new story! I've gotten bored out of my _mind_ not writing something, and it's only been a week! I love having something to write to take my mind off of things, especially since school just started back. I really hope you all will check it out, I just posted it at this link: /s/11740678/1/Swapped (just go to fanfiction home, and then copy the rest of that URL to the end) :)


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